New Cosy Animal Crossing Clone Uses AI, How Disappointing

Update 21/01/26: After we reached out to the UK PR, within 24 hours, the developer put out the following official statement in a private Discord server. Adding to the post-launch Steam update (found at the bottom of this article), following the non-disclosure of AI use in the game regarding its puzzles and in-game chat, the statement clarified:

"Monetisation Content in Heartopia does not include AI-generated materials. Should any AI-assisted content be used in the game in the future, it will be announced in advance. Marketing materials produced outside the game, including those created in collaboration with third-party suppliers, are not covered by the scope of this disclosure.

Thank you for your continued support and feedback as we build Heartopia together."

Heartopia, XD Entertainment

Original article 20/01/26: A new cosy Animal Crossing-inspired game has been accused by fans of using generative AI without initially disclosing the details on its Steam page.

There’s no escaping AI in the modern era, especially when it comes to the entertainment and marketing industries.

A well-programmed and informed AI software can do fantastic work in a matter of minutes or even seconds. It can also drastically reduce costs for companies, at the expense of not employing talented employees.

However, if not implemented correctly, it can make glaring mistakes if not closely monitored. For example, Amazon recently pulled a Fallout season one recap on its Prime Video streaming service, plagued with errors, that was intended to bring viewers up to speed.

Yesterday, I reported on a free-to-play Animal Crossing-inspired game that launched on PC via Steam, as well as Android and iOS devices in the West, nearly a year after it launched in its native China.

Heartopia Steam User Review Rating Has Dropped

At the time of writing, Heartopia, developed and published by XD Entertainment, has a Steam user review rating of “Mostly Positive”. However, that rating has come down from “Very Positive” on 19 January 2026.

Amongst the positive user reviews on Steam, a common complaint from gamers was the use of generative AI in Heartopia. “AI use. That's it, that's why I'm not playing anymore. Non-disclosed AI use at that,” exclaimed one user Steam review.

“Will change this negative review once AI used is disclosed and promptly replaced with real human work. It's so disrespectful to use AI for assets and marketing when your game's core is about cultivating creativity. Truly disgusting,” wrote another Steam user.

Complaints over the use of AI were also raised on the official Heartopia Discord.

“Stop using AI narration for videos and ads of the game and the AI-generated images for puzzles. It's really bad, drives away potential players, devalues real people's work and looks like you care more about cutting costs on 'small things' than making something of quality,” said an agitated Discord member.

“I personally don't care at all either way, but Steam does, and Steam requires that if there are visible AI images/audio, you disclose it on the page, which they didn't do,” explained another Discord member.

When I wrote yesterday’s article on 19 January 2026, as shown on web.archive.org, despite Steam requiring the disclosure of the use of AI for games available on its platform, there was no mention of AI on the Heartopia Steam page. What’s more, as said in some of the community comments above, they also did not see any disclosure of AI use.

We Reached out for a Comment From the Heartopia Devs

I reached out to the UK PR of Heartopia for a comment from its developers before publishing this article.

However, after I reached out yesterday to give the developers a heads up about not mentioning the use of AI on the Heartopia Steam page, there has now been an update declaring its use.

“AI is used in the puzzle gameplay to reinterpret and redraw in-game snapshot images,” reads the update spotted on 20 January 2026. “AI is used in in-game chat to help players understand different languages.”

We'll update this article if we receive a comment on this disappointing use. For now, Heartopia is out on PC and compatible mobile devices, if you fancy giving it a go.