Ex-Escape From Tarkov devs will "ride the wave" of AI, but stress "the finishing touch must always come from a human hand"

Nomion Games is the brainchild of former Battlestate Games duo Dmitri Ogorodnikov and German Terekhov. Having left the Escape From Tarkov studio for pastures new, the pair bring with them a wealth of experience, and have certainly felt the changing tides within the industry over the years. A key belief pillar for Nomion is, according to Ogorodnikov, that "creative potential, accumulated experience, and ambition should not be put on hold." As the integration of AI into videogame development continues to be a hot topic, usually for the wrong reasons, it was only prudent that I quizzed the devs behind upcoming shooter Rush is Real as to how, if at all, AI would be utilized in their maiden project.

Answering on Nomion's behalf, Ogorodnikov believes there is a place for the divisive tech, not only within Rush is Real, but in other upcoming PC games. "Like a sculptor's chisel, AI is a modern tool that's foolish to ignore," Ogorodnikov says, "and everyone needs to learn how to use it - ride the wave. Especially with all the talk that AI will take everyone's jobs."

Recently, former Blizzard VP Jeff Kaplan offered his two-cents on how, in certain scenarios, AI can be used to cut out much of the menial grunt work that hinders developers, freeing up creative time without putting jobs at risk. Ogorodnikov takes this sentiment a step further, highlighting its usefulness for preliminary ideation.

"Ambition often gets stuck because ideas take too long to realize," Ogorodnikov claims. "In traditional setups, going from idea to prototype can take months of meetings. AI can allow you to generate dozens of rough drafts in just hours to quickly find that unique spark." Crucially, however, "the final decision and the finishing touch must always come from a human hand."

Indeed, while Ogorodnikov's enthusiasm for AI shows, he stresses how imperative it is "to define the boundaries within which it's used." Personally, I don't see the value of replacing human originality with AI regurgitations, but I'm no developer. Rush is Real is set to be a high-octane shooter where "risk and pressure are pushed to the absolute," and, as Ogorodnikov tells us, "addresses issues like camping" that are prevalent within the genre. So, at the very least, it sounds like plenty of organic thought has gone into it so far. If anything, Ogorodnikov espouses AI as a means to bolster efficiency, but the balance has to be right.

"Shooter development involves a lot of monotonous work: technical textures, environment variations, code optimization," Ogorodnikov says. "This is where potential gets stuck - when a talented artist spends years drawing typical crates. AI can free them from routine tasks where possible, letting them focus on creative work. But AI shouldn't be trusted with key player touchpoints: level design, weapon balance, character visual style, gameplay, and many other things. Otherwise, they will become average and lose their identity." Should Nomion rely on AI too much, then Rush is Real will undoubtedly fall into the trap of genericism it's desperately trying to avoid.

When AI is introduced into the pipeline, even the clearest boundaries can quickly become muddied. While AI tools that help with some of the elements Ogorodnikov lists have been around for years, it only takes a small amount of oversight or laziness for things to spiral. Escape From Tarkov Arena elicited player ire when it included gen AI art in the Iceberg map when it launched last year. Shooters like Call of Duty have also been pulled up for the practice, while open-world RPG Crimson Desert more recently got caught out for using AI placeholder art. As such, Nomion will have to tread carefully and remain vigilant to avoid similar backlash.