‘It’s Theft’: New Open-World Anime RPG NTE Under Fire for ‘AI Slop’ Following U.S. Release

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The new anime-style game, Neverness to Everness, is facing criticism for reportedly using AI to create art that closely resembles an official piece from Makoto Shinkai’s 2019 film, Weathering with You.

The game NTE became available worldwide on mobile, PC, and PlayStation 5 on April 29, 2026. Fans immediately praised the Japanese-inspired, open-world action role-playing game after its launch. However, as players spend more time in the large city of Hethereau, it’s becoming clear that some of the game’s references to anime appear to be quickly and carelessly made, rather than genuine expressions of appreciation.

The voice actress publicly criticized the game for using AI to create a scene from Weathering with You. This led her to end her working relationship with Hotta Studio, the game’s developer, who had previously assured her team that no AI was involved.

World’s Biggest Indie VTuber Cut Ties with Neverness to Everness Over AI Artwork

During a recent stream, Ironmouse shared that the developers of NTE had assured her team that the open-world game she was sponsoring didn’t use any artificial intelligence.

As expected, her viewers didn’t react kindly to the situation.

Viewers on Twitch are calling this outright theft, not a simple mistake like leaving a placeholder asset in the game. They’re also upset about the continued dishonesty surrounding the issue. Many feel bad for anyone who signed contracts unknowingly and is now stuck.

I learned from Ironmouse that she didn’t know about the controversy surrounding the AI-generated art in NTE until it started circulating on X – what used to be Twitter. Apparently, a viral post brought it to her attention.

Shylily, an independent VTuber who was sponsored to play the game NTE, has spoken out about the recent claims that the game uses AI-generated art. She explained that because VTubers have close relationships with artists, she doesn’t want to support anything that relies on AI artwork. She and her team are now looking into the accusations and considering whether to continue her sponsorship with NTE.

Meggie Elise, who voices Hana Danno in the game, publicly questioned whether Neverness to Everness used AI in its development on X (formerly Twitter). Elise is officially listed as an English voice actor for the game, known as NTE.

I just learned that a game I helped create is secretly using AI, and I’m very concerned. I strongly oppose the use of AI-generated content – like voices, art, writing, and music – in any creative work. Unless this issue is fixed and the AI is removed, I won’t be working with this team anymore, as I shared on X.

Elise is also credited as the English voice actor as providing additional voices in .

The official social media for Neverness to Everness hasn’t responded to claims about AI use, and they also haven’t commented on losing support from several popular streamers.

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2026-05-06 20:45