GOG accused of using AI-generated artwork to promote its big New Year sale

GOG has long been regarded as a storefront with gamers' best interests in mind - no DRM, slick and easy mod integration, and an incredible game preservation push. It's a store that does things very differently to the big dogs like Steam, and players love it for that. However, some users have been disappointed to see allegations that the artwork used to promote GOG's New Year sale is AI-generated - allegations that've been backed by an employee on the GOG forums.

The New Year sale is a pretty big one, with some generous deals on major new single-player games like Silent Hill f and old classics, too. Four beloved Final Fantasy games also just got added to GOG, and have been immediately given tasty discounts right off the bat. However, many have spotted irregularities in the sale's promotional art and some telltale signs it was AI-generated.

For a start, the framing is rather strange - the person sitting on a beanbag is positioned behind the TV you'd expect him to be watching. Also, beneath the TV is a retro-looking games console (an already odd choice for a PC platform) that has some smudgy lines and textures.

In a post on the storefront's forums, someone claiming to be a GOG employee (whose profile also wears the blue 'GOG.com Team' tag) says that it is "fully AI."

While they make it clear they are not "a company spokesperson" and are commenting on this "because I personally want to," this does appear to confirm generative AI tools were used to make this artwork. PCGamesN has contacted GOG for official confirmation.

As was highlighted by Gaming On Linux, who first reported on the gen-AI claims, recent job postings on GOG's career pages include the following requirement for candidates: "Active use of AI tools in daily development workflows, and enthusiasm for helping the team increase adoption." A job listing specifically for a senior software engineer also lists this as a responsibility of the role: "Actively use and promote AI-assisted development tools to increase team efficiency and code quality."

However, having checked other engineering listings that were posted over the last three months via a web archive, this mention of AI tools can be found in those as well, so this is not a particularly new revelation. It does, though, speak to GOG's willingness to embrace AI technology.

In December 2025, GOG was acquired from CD Projekt Red by Michał Kiciński, one of CDPR's original founders. As well as making it clear that GOG's approach to DRM and preservation would remain unchanged, the announcement post for Kicinski's takeover says: "We will continue building a platform that's ethical, non-predatory, and made to last, while helping indie developers reach the world. We're also committed to giving the community a stronger voice, with new initiatives planned for 2026."