The Relic: First Guardian, an upcoming Soulslike from Project Cloud Games and publisher Perp Games, has faced scrutiny after preview footage appeared to contain possible generative-AI artwork, icons and text. Director In-Hyeok Park says AI was used during early development, but that no AI-generated work will remain in the final game.
The game is scheduled for release on July 31, 2026. Its marketing campaign has included trailers published through the YouTube channels of PlayStation and IGN, while Perp Games has distributed preview keys widely among creators who cover Soulslike games.
That promotional push appears to have generated substantial interest. Perp Games announced that The Relic: First Guardian had passed 250,000 wishlists across Steam and PlayStation 5.
For readers following the wider arcade and gaming news landscape, the controversy is a familiar modern development question: how much of a preview build accurately represents the finished product?
Several creators raised concerns after examining the preview, including Iron Pineapple’s video and coverage from FightinCowboy.
The suspected signs appeared across multiple parts of the build. Commentary focused on artwork, item icons, written text and dialogue, with some viewers questioning whether generative tools had been used in production rather than simply during concept development.
Park addressed the issue in an interview with Thumb Wars. He acknowledged that “one or two elements” created with AI “may” still be present in the preview version, while drawing a firm distinction between that build and the commercial release.
“There is no AI used in the final game; however, in the early design stages, AI was used in a very few areas to help in the concept stage of development. This involved a few pieces of concept art for loading screens and a handful of icon images for the consumables,” Park said.
He added that any remaining examples in the preview build will not carry over to the final product. Park also said AI assisted with localising text early in development, but Project Cloud staff manually reviewed and edited all of that writing. He stated that AI was not used for the game’s voiceovers.
The comments leave open the possibility that questionable material was removed before launch, or that some apparent clues were misinterpreted by viewers. The game’s Steam page does not include an AI disclosure.
Voice acting has also attracted criticism. An early review objected to what it described as AI voiceovers for quest givers, while not arguing that the entire game depended on generative-AI tools. RPGFan wrote that “no voice at all would’ve been better than the robotic garbage” encountered during play.
Whether the final release matches Park’s description will depend on the content shipped on launch day. For players comparing digital releases with the dedicated hardware found in arcade machines, the situation is another reminder that preview builds can change considerably before the finished version reaches audiences.
Those planning a home setup can also explore RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide or browse upright arcades for a more traditional cabinet experience.
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