GOG just fumbled hard. The PC gaming storefront famous for DRM-free preservation plastered what everyone immediately recognized as AI-generated slop across their New Year sale banner. A melting SNES console, backwards-facing gamer, and telltale AI artifacts triggered instant backlash from their core audience who expect better from the preservation-focused platform.
The Banner That Broke the Internet
Reddit users spotted the crime scene immediately. The lower-right corner features what should be a classic SNES but instead melts into purple goo. The gamer faces away from the TV. Hands morph into claws. Fireworks defy physics. Classic AI tells: distorted electronics, impossible anatomy, nonsensical composition.
GOG’s own senior graphic designer ‘Kosmiczna Pluskwa’ confirmed the disaster on their forums: ‘current sale banner is fully AI. Not my work. This is all I can say.’ The employee revealed their design team got downsized, leaving AI as the default solution for basic marketing graphics.
Preservation Platform Betrays Its Values
GOG built its brand opposing corporate greed – no launchers, no always-online DRM, eternal game ownership. Customers rewarded this with fierce loyalty. Now that same audience feels stabbed in the back by AI replacing human artists on a platform literally dedicated to preserving human-created games.
‘Using AI art like this feels directly at odds with the whole reason I buy things from their storefront to begin with.’
‘As long as GOG is using generative AI images or coding I will never buy another game from their site.’
Users point out the irony: GOG runs a well-funded Patreon for game preservation while cutting artists and outsourcing to algorithms.
AI Artifacts: The Smoking Gun
| Element | AI Hallmark | Human Art Won’t Do This |
|---|---|---|
| SNES Console | Melting into purple puddle | Electronics maintain shape |
| Gamer’s Face | Turned away from TV | People face screens |
| Hands | Morphing into claws | Five fingers, proper joints |
| Fireworks | Defying window physics | Respect architecture |
These aren’t subtle. Anyone familiar with Midjourney/Stable Diffusion output recognizes the pattern. GOG didn’t even bother running it through Photoshop for basic cleanup.
GOG’s Downward Spiral
- Team downsized, artists replaced by AI
- Linux support announced alongside AI embrace
- Patreon raises millions for preservation while cutting staff
- Core DRM-free promise intact, but brand trust eroding
Financial pressures apparently forced the pivot. Maintaining a DRM-free storefront requires eating publisher revenue shares others don’t. AI becomes the cost-cutting nuclear option.
Industry Context: Everyone’s Doing It (Badly)
GOG joins Ubisoft (Anno 117 AI loading screens), Steam devs delisting AI games, and endless mobile shovelware. Gamers increasingly spot the artifacts and vote with wallets. Preservation matters more when human-crafted games become irreplaceable cultural artifacts.
GOG’s unique position made this betrayal sting worse. Steam users expect corporate shortcuts. GOG customers paid premium for the anti-corporate alternative.
Community Demands Accountability
Top Reddit comments call for:
- Firing whoever approved AI banners
- Rehiring downsized artists
- Public AI usage policy
- Boycotts until human art returns
GOG remains silent beyond the designer’s rogue confirmation. No apology, no explanation, no reversal. The longer silence continues, the deeper the reputational wound.
FAQs
Is the GOG banner definitely AI-generated?
Yes. GOG graphic designer publicly confirmed ‘current sale banner is fully AI.’ Melting SNES, backwards gamer, claw hands – textbook Midjourney output.
Why would GOG use AI art?
Downsized design team. Cost-cutting amid DRM-free revenue pressures. AI promised ‘quick wins’ that backfired spectacularly.
Does this affect GOG games themselves?
No. Storefront marketing only (so far). Games remain DRM-free with original assets. But trust erosion affects platform loyalty.
Will GOG reverse course?
Backlash intensity suggests yes. Silence so far, but customer exodus could force policy change. Artist’s public dissent signals internal fracture.
Is AI art common in gaming now?
Yes. Ubisoft loading screens, Steam delistings, mobile shovelware. Gamers increasingly detect and reject obvious AI slop.
Should I stop buying from GOG?
Your call. DRM-free remains unique value. But funding AI replacement of artists contradicts preservation ethos. Steam sales offer alternatives.
What other red flags should I watch for?
Melting electronics, extra/missing fingers, impossible anatomy, text gibberish, physics-defying compositions. Train your eye – AI can’t hide.
Conclusion
GOG’s AI blunder reveals gaming’s uncomfortable truth: even preservation champions cut corners when finances tighten. Customers who paid premium for human-crafted DRM-free experiences now face melting SNES consoles and downsized artist teams. The designer’s public dissent proves not everyone drank the AI Kool-Aid.
Trust rebuild won’t happen overnight. Gamers demand human art on the platform preserving human-created games. Boycotts, policy demands, and wallet votes will determine if GOG returns to roots or embraces the AI slop future. One melted console may preserve more than any Patreon – a reminder that digital artifacts need human souls behind them.