According to Polygon, a new contingent of Fortnite fans are accusing Epic Games of using generative AI to create some of the art assets in the newly launched Chapter 7. The accusations, which unfolded over the weekend on Reddit, specifically point to details like a poster for a fictional movie called “Mile High Retreat” that features a yeti with nine toes—five on one foot and four on the other. One piece of Back to the Future 2-themed spray art was also accused, but illustrator Sean Dove debunked that claim on Instagram, showing his Procreate layers and suggesting he may have accidentally used an AI-generated clock image as a collage element. Meanwhile, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney recently stated on X that he believes mandatory AI disclosure tags “have no place” on game storefronts like Valve’s Steam, arguing AI will be involved in nearly all future game production. Polygon has reached out to Epic for comment on the specific AI use allegations.
The AI Accusation Playbook
Here’s the thing about the current moment in digital art: everyone’s a detective now. The second something looks slightly off—a weird hand, an extra toe, garbled text—the AI alarm bells start ringing. And honestly, that’s probably a healthy skepticism to have. The nine-toed yeti is a classic tell. But the Sean Dove situation is just as instructive. An artist uses a stock element, maybe one that itself was AI-generated without his knowledge, and suddenly he’s on the defensive proving his work is “real.” It creates a toxic environment of suspicion where any imperfection is seen as evidence of automation, not just human error or stylistic choice. That’s a rough place for artists to be.
Sweeney’s Stance And The Bigger Fight
Now, Tim Sweeney‘s comments are where this gets really interesting, and frankly, a bit messy. On one level, he has a point. If AI tools become as ubiquitous as Photoshop filters, does every game need a warning label? Probably not. But his framing of Valve’s policy as “confiscat[ing] ever more opportunity from small developers” is a major oversimplification. He’s basically arguing that disclosure facilitates “cancel campaigns” and review bombing. But isn’t the opposite also true? A lack</em of transparency could lead to even bigger backlash when players feel deceived. Sweeney is protecting Epic's future flexibility here. If Epic wants to use AI tools extensively in development—and let's be real, they almost certainly do—he doesn't want a storefront policy forcing them to shout it from the rooftops. It's a business stance disguised as a principled one for indie devs.
The Real Question Epic Won’t Answer
So, did they use AI for the yeti poster or any other Chapter 7 assets? We don’t know. And Epic isn’t saying. Sweeney’s comments about store tags and his denial about using AI coding tools in Unreal Engine are clever misdirection. They don’t address the art team’s pipeline at all. The core issue isn’t really about a single weird poster. It’s about trust and process. Players and artists alike want to know if the cool world they’re engaging with was built by human vision or prompted into existence. There’s a cultural value placed on human craft, especially in a game as massively influential as Fortnite. If Epic used AI for minor background fluff, is that so bad? Maybe not. But their silence on the matter, coupled with a CEO actively lobbying against transparency, sure makes it feel like they have something to hide. That’s the real damage being done here.
Where Does This Leave Us?
Basically, we’re in a messy transition phase. The tools are here, the ethical lines are blurry, and the corporate messaging is conflicted. The Reddit megathread shows a community deeply divided on the issue. Some see it as a harmless cost-cutting measure; others see it as an affront. And Sweeney’s tweets (like this one and his follow-up) show a tech leader trying to shape the narrative before the rules get written. The answer to the Chapter 7 art question will eventually come out, either through a leak, an artist’s credit, or a grudging statement. But the bigger fight Sweeney is picking—about whether this tech should operate in the shadows of development—that’s the one that will define the next decade of game creation. And right now, he’s betting on opacity.
