Level-5 fans are scrutinising the studio’s apparent approach to artificial intelligence after its latest showcase, with the newly announced Professor Layton and the Curious Village remake receiving particular attention.
The reaction followed two major presentations. On September 9, Nintendo Direct finally showed the long-delayed Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. About 24 hours later, Level-5 streamed its own presentation, titled “LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II: Dreams”. Readers following the latest arcade and gaming news will recognise the showcase as part of a wider industry conversation about how games are made.
The event included the first full-length trailer for DecaPolice and revealed a remake of the original Professor Layton game. Instead of delivering an uncomplicated win for the developer, however, the broadcast prompted concern across its fanbase. More gaming showcases and industry clips can be found among RETROCADE’s arcade videos.
Why fans are questioning the showcase
A digitally animated version of Level-5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino helped fuel the discussion, but it was not the only source of suspicion. Viewers highlighted what they believed were signs of generative AI across much of the footage, including the games covered during the event.
Discussion on social media pointed to several specific examples:
- Yo-kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain was criticised for its background artwork and a character’s sudden face transplant.
- Inazuma Eleven: Bold Revolution attracted complaints about stiff character movement and accusations of using AI too much.
- The Professor Layton and the Curious Village remake was accused of containing inconsistent backgrounds that looked AI-generated.
- DecaPolice was suspected of displaying all of those issues, along with further visual inconsistencies.
One widely shared critique pointed to a pen failing to follow the writing motion, inconsistent lighting and two characters changing positions when leaving a car. These observations remain fan interpretations, not confirmation of how the footage was produced.
No game-specific confirmation
Level-5 has not confirmed that generative AI was used in any of the titles shown. That uncertainty is especially significant for Professor Layton, where hand-drawn characters and backgrounds are central to the series’ visual identity.
The dispute also illustrates how closely audiences now inspect promotional footage. A few visual errors can quickly become part of a much broader debate about production methods, much as arcade enthusiasts assess presentation, controls and displays when comparing arcade machines.
Why Level-5’s earlier comments matter
The suspicion did not appear from nowhere. As reported by Famitsu and translated by Automaton, Hino made striking comments while speaking to applicants for Japan’s Top Game Creators Academy programme.
“Currently, around 80~90% of codes are written by AI and then fixed up and finalized by human programmers,” Hino said. He added that AI was also spreading into art, music and game design, and described its use for improving efficiency as increasingly accepted in creative work.
Those remarks referred broadly to game development rather than confirming that any particular title in the showcase used generative AI. Even so, they help explain why fans are examining Level-5’s trailers so closely.
There is also an earlier precedent. In 2023, Level-5 acknowledged using ChatGPT for character designs and background artwork in Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road. The studio’s history with the technology has therefore made the current reaction more intense, particularly among players who associate Level-5 with the carefully illustrated worlds of Professor Layton, Ni no Kuni and Dark Cloud.
Until Level-5 provides a title-by-title explanation, the claims remain unproven. For now, the controversy is less about a confirmed production decision than about a widening trust gap between the studio and fans concerned about the look of its upcoming games.
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