AI-Assisted Game Cloning Spurs Piracy Fears, Analysts See Limited GTA 6 Risk

Artificial intelligence tools, particularly AI-assisted programming, are driving a wave of ports, remakes and game mashups, and this is already forcing the industry to rethink its approaches. Recent examples include Halo running in a browser, Minecraft on Twitter and Spider-Man in Arkham City. Some see a technological breakthrough, while others call the situation an "era of slop" for games. The debate touches on AI ethics, game preservation, layoffs in the industry and the shift away from physical discs in favor of digital ownership.

Stephen Kick, head of Nightdive, a studio that has been producing remasters since 2012 and has released several dozen games, says his team has not used AI "for the last year or so." According to him, AI will accelerate reverse engineering and remastering but will not replace the core work. Kick expects publishers' lawyers to start actively filing infringement complaints and to look for answers in business models, and the industry to gradually move toward streaming instead of delivering game files to users.

GTA 6, which is considered one of the biggest releases in history and is of great importance to Rockstar and Take-Two, is a particular source of concern. Former technical director of Rockstar North Obb Vermeij is worried about the possibility of AI-converted copies of the game from PS5 to PC. Digital Foundry technical editor Richard Leadbetter recalls that Demon's Souls and Wolverine already run on PC, and he estimates that models from China and other countries will, within a few months, be able to match the capabilities of today's leaders. It is also reported that Anthropic has added server-side blocking intended to stop the creation of clones through "vibe coding."

Analysts at Omdia believe that AI-driven cloning is unlikely to derail the GTA 6 launch in the near term. In their view, an AI-made PC port of the PS5 version would be a poor gaming experience and more of a niche technical demonstration. A possible PC release of GTA 6 is reportedly coming as early as Q1 2027. For comparison, GTA 5 reached PC more than 18 months after its console release. Omdia links the earlier PC timing to shortages of memory and storage for consoles. The PC version of GTA 6 has not been officially announced.

The problem also affects small developers. Rami Ismail of Vlambeer says AI agents collect information about popular indie games from social media in order to clone them. As a result, demos at Steam Next Fest have become risky for small studies. Indie developers using generative AI also face financial risks if subsidized token pricing ends. Ismail warns of the "enshittification" of platforms and of a dynamic resembling taxi services, where prices drop in order to capture the market.

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Delaney Sawyer

Society Reporter

Delaney Sawyer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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