Heartopia’s My Little Pony collab set for Feb 14 — Steam AI disclosure draws backlash

Heartopia, the cozy life sim from developer XD, will get a My Little Pony collaboration beginning on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, with pre-event festivities starting Feb. 7 and promises of puzzles and a new pet costume.

The PC port’s Steam description quietly notes that XD used AI-generated content “in the puzzle gameplay to reinterpret and redraw in-game snapshot images,” and “in in-game chat to help players understand different languages,” the developer disclaims on Steam.

That disclosure has drawn criticism from some players. A Not Recommended review with more than 1,000 upvotes complained the studio would not have disclosed genAI use if not releasing on Steam and called the PC port “the bare minimum.” Another Not Recommended review with 93 upvotes said, “Undisclosed gen ai usage strikes again,” and expressed relief at not having spent money on the game yet.

Despite the backlash, many players remain attracted to Heartopia’s multiplayer features. A press release says the crossover will place the Tree of Harmony on Whale Island, which players must reawaken using the Elements of Harmony, and that cooperating players can return the tree to Equestria.

Pre-event activities begin Feb. 7, allowing players to complete daily puzzles to unlock an exclusive Spike pet costume and Time-Limited Exhibition Passes; the full My Little Pony event starts Feb. 14.

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