- SNK has come under fire for generative AI usage
- Its Season 2 trailer for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves contains several short AI-generated scenes
- Season 2 will also boast the “highest-prized fighting game tournament”
Developer SNK has found itself in hot water after posting a trailer for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves’ upcoming Season 2 characters.
The trailer, which you can view here, appears to make liberal use of generative AI technology. Well, not just ‘appears to’, as pretty much all the telltale signs are there. From light source overcorrection and uncanny expressions, to abjectly incorrect details on characters and that overly ‘shiny’ look, it’s a pretty open and shut case.
Fans of the game have taken to social media to express their distaste for SNK’s decision to make use of generative AI technologies.
“Imagine bragging in your trailer that you have the most money of any tournament, while refusing to pay animators to make your trailer,” one Bluesky user posted.
Another, who was a moderator for the official City of the Wolves Discord server, announced they would be stepping down from the role in the wake of the controversy.
The trailer states that Season 2 will run alongside the “highest-prized fighting game tournament,” and kicks off on January 22, 2026. The game is also part of the main roster of fighting games at this year’s EVO championship event.
What’s also alarming in my view is that Season 2’s characters are being released on a monthly basis, as confirmed by SNK.
It’ll be one a month from January to June, making for a total of six characters. Four of these have been revealed as Kim Jae Hoon, Nightmare Geese, Blue Mary, and Wolfgang Krauser – all fan-favorites. The final two remain a mystery, though one has been teased to potentially be Fist of the North Star protagonist Kenshiro.
I find this alarming because once per month is a shockingly quick cadence in the modern fighting game space. Typically, games like Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising will add DLC characters once every three to four months, roughly.
The relatively rapid pace that SNK is deploying here leaves nothing (so far) for the latter half of the year, and could be a sign of the team wrapping up development on City of the Wolves. I’m also a bit worried that such a rushed schedule could lead to balance issues or unintended character behaviors, but the jury’s out there for now.
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