Dungeon Fighter Online is facing controversy over the use of AI and the art style of illustrations featured in its recent "Magical Boy" events.
Today (October 1), following maintenance, Dungeon Fighter Online launched several Magical Boy events themed around the Male Priest. Among them, the artwork for the "Magical Boy Photo Legendary Card" revealed as a reward for the "HOT DEBUT! Magical Boys" event stirred controversy. Four cards were revealed: Captain Thunder Honey, Macho Pink Heart Breaker, Dark Devil Foxy, and Big Bear Milky Way.
Notably, the event page includes a notice stating, "Some images were created by utilizing AI generation and retouching." However, specific production details—such as which images used AI or to what extent AI was involved in generation versus retouching—were not disclosed. Pointing out detailed rendering on the cards, some players questioned whether the images were AI-generated. Given that the event page explicitly stated AI was used, the core of the debate is expected to focus on how AI was utilized in the creation process rather than whether AI was used at all.
Additionally, some players voiced opinions that the cards' exaggerated poses, strong contrast shading, and facial expressions were reminiscent of Hirohiko Araki's manga 'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'. However, it has not been confirmed whether the actual production process referenced the art style of a specific work or artist.
Currently, the event images have been replaced. Nexon announced via an official website notice, "Some awkward image resources in the 'HOT DEBUT! Magical Boys - Magical Boy Photo Legendary Card Album' will be modified." Furthermore, Nexon expressed sincere apologies to players for the inconvenience caused by the insufficient polish of the AI illustrations, stating that it will reinforce its inspection and retouching processes to prevent recurring quality issues.
