Jurassic World Evolution 3 dev scraps generative AI plans after major backlash

I love a good theme park sim, but there are only so many rollercoasters and hot dog stands you can build before you want something a bit more… dangerous. That's always been the beauty of the Jurassic World Evolution series, which has had me screaming in terror on several occasions as I watch my loyal customers get mauled to death by some Houdini-esque velociraptors. The recently revealed threequal, Jurassic World Evolution 3, drops later this year, promising loads of improvements and new features. But it's already received some heat from fans after Frontier Developments confirmed it was using generative AI for character portraits.

Unveiled at Summer Game Fest, Jurassic World Evolution 3 doesn't try to do anything radically different from its siblings, but there are some excellent innovations and features on the way. Better terrain tools, a 'family unit' system that differentiates male, female, and juvenile dinos, and scenic new locations where you can build a park, such as Japan and Hawaii. Jurassic World Evolution 2 is already a mainstay on our list of the best management games, but with all these additions, JWE 3 is on course to join it.

That all sounds jolly good, but the reveal has been somewhat soured. Fans quickly uncovered a disclaimer on Steam that stated that portraits of NPC scientists would be created using generative AI - and they were quick to voice their displeasure. The use of AI, especially to create assets that would otherwise have been crafted by environment artists, illustrators, animators, and writers, remains something that gamers will generally revolt against. Frontier has now seen this first-hand, and it's walking back its original decision.

In response to a Steam community thread complaining about the use of AI art, and in a statement sent to Game Watcher, Frontier confirms that it has "removed the use of generative AI for scientists' portraits in Jurassic World Evolution 3 following some initial feedback. The team are continuing their diligent work on the game and are very much looking forward to launching on October 21."

It's a fairly swift and decisive response from Frontier, which is good to see. I'm excited to check out the new, human-made scientist portraits and I'm hopeful they'll be of a high quality - I'd hate for them to become a sticking point for a second time later down the line.

In preparation for Jurassic World Evolution 3, you should definitely play one of the first two games, or dive into any of the other titles on our best simulation games list. If you just love all things prehistoric, then definitely check out some of the best dinosaur games too.

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