r/Games: Aspyr Denies Generative AI in Tomb Raider Remastered Update and Prioritizes Fixes

A closely watched r/Games post zeroed in on PC Gamer's March 18, 2026 report about the backlash surrounding Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered's Challenge Mode update. According to the report, Aspyr says its top priority is a patch for texture issues and technical bugs, while also pushing back on player claims that the new outfits added in the update were created with generative AI.

What happened

The Challenge Mode update went live on March 12 and quickly drew negative Steam reviews from players who said the patch broke parts of the game and introduced cosmetics that looked cheap or out of place.

PC Gamer says accusations of AI-generated art intensified after remaster lead artist Giovanni Lucca wrote that he was not involved in the art direction of the patch, and neither were other developers from Saber Interactive who contributed to the remaster.

In a Bluesky statement cited by PC Gamer, Aspyr said a fix patch for texture issues and technical bugs is the top priority, that more technical updates are on the way across all platforms, and that no AI generated assets were used for the outfits.

Why it matters

This story is important because it shows how quickly a remaster can move from routine post-launch support into a debate about authorship, quality control, and trust. The initial complaints were not only about bugs. They were also about whether the new visual assets matched the tone and craft expectations attached to a legacy franchise like Tomb Raider.

Aspyr's response tries to separate two problems. First, there are technical issues the studio says it will patch. Second, there is the reputational question created by players who believe the outfits look machine-made. By denying AI use outright while promising bug fixes, Aspyr is attempting to keep the operational problem from becoming a long-term brand problem.

That approach may calm part of the situation, but it does not automatically resolve the aesthetic backlash. PC Gamer notes that Aspyr did not give a date for the patch and did not clearly say whether the outfits themselves will be revised. That leaves room for the controversy to continue even if the technical repair lands quickly.

The broader takeaway is that generative AI suspicion now moves faster than most traditional patch narratives. Even without confirmed AI use, a visual mismatch can trigger the same kind of community reaction, and studios working on remasters no longer have much room to ignore that risk.