NetEase has praised AI integration across the full game development and gameplay innovation cycle in their latest earnings release.
For those unaware, it was claimed around a week ago by Grasshopper Manufacture’s founder that NetEase doesn’t allow any of their internal studios use AI. However, NetEase was quick to debunk the claim, stating that “the situation described did not occur”. Now, the company has revealed its stance on AI, and it seems to be loving it.
NetEase has Comprehensively Integrated AI Across Full Game Development
In the operational highlights section of its earnings release, NetEase announced that it successfully achieved comprehensive integration of AI across the entire game development and gameplay innovation cycle. This integration encompasses art, design, programming, animation, and quality assurance. It enables high-volume, scalable production and facilitates the smooth implementation of dynamic, AI-native gameplay features across several flagship titles.
The CEO and director of NetEase, William Ding, stated that AI has become the “foundational competency for our development and operations,” significantly improving production efficiency and creating new interactive experiences. The developer’s future plans are to foster a creative talent ecosystem, deepen collaboration with partners worldwide, and thoughtfully advance AI-application capabilities.”
Check out William Ding’s full statement below:
“We concluded 2025 with another healthy quarter, reflecting the durability of our long-term game operations and the growing impact of our global titles.
AI has become a foundational competency for our development and operations. We have been systematically applying AI throughout game development and gameplay, where it is already driving meaningful improvement in production efficiency and unlocking new interactive experiences for our players that were previously out of reach.
Looking ahead, we remain focused on delivering exceptional experiences across the NetEase family of businesses. By fostering a creative talent ecosystem, deepening collaboration with partners worldwide and thoughtfully advancing our AI-application capabilities, we aim to further extend the longevity of our franchises while continuing to deliver innovative experiences to create even greater value for our global players and shareholders alike.”
Talking about the games and related value-added services numbers, the net revenue for this category was RMB27.5 billion (US$3.9 billion), a 3.0% increase compared to the same quarter in 2024.
In other news, the Indie Game Awards disqualified Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for using generative AI. Additionally, Divinity devs have stated that they will “refrain from using GenAI tools” for concept art. What are your thoughts on NetEase’s praise of AI integration in gaming? Leave your thoughts down in the comments, and join the official Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more information from Insider Gaming, read about Subnautica and Below Zero getting Switch 2 ports in February. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
