Summary
- Catly’s controversial reveal trailer raised suspicions of AI use, but developer SuperAuthenti denies the allegations.
- An official gameplay trailer showcases cute cats and customization, addressing doubts about the game’s legitimacy.
Developer SuperAuthenti released the first gameplay trailer for Catly, an upcoming massively multiplayer online game about cats. Since its first reveal, Catly has been an incredibly controversial title, with gamers accusing SuperAuthenti of using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create its trailer, and the developer denying it.
Catly was originally revealed during The Game Awards 2024, and it had a mixed reception at best. Marketed as an AAA open-world MMO focused on cats, Catly’s reveal trailer raised a lot of red flags for some people, who wondered whether the developers used AI to create the game’s cinematic trailer and the felines used in it. Some gamers even accused Catly of being a scam, or its Steam description of being just random words put together.
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Now, likely due to the AI controversy around Catly, the game finally has an official gameplay trailer, which is already live on its Steam page, replacing the previous one. In the new trailer, it’s possible to see around two minutes of gameplay, which shows cute cats walking and playing around an idyllic, colorful island. The video also shows some of the cats’ animations, as well as some of the customization, which includes dressing them in glasses, duck and dinosaur costumes, and more. While the gameplay still looks somewhat rough, it’s at least possible to see that Catly is a real game with real assets when watching the trailer. Also, new images have been added to the Steam page, and the game’s description has been overhauled.
Catly Gameplay Trailer
Earlier this week, Catly developer SuperAuthenti addressed the AI accusations. According to SuperAuthenti’s statement to IGN, generative AI was not used to create the trailer, and the current technology is not yet advanced enough to generate such detailed work. At the time, the developer had also reportedly shown proof to IGN that the game existed and was in development.
Considering how uncanny the original trailer looked, it’s understandable that Catly suffered from this controversy. There’s a considerable backlash against generative AI online, which explains the negativity around the trailer. To make matters worse, the studio’s co-founder, Kevin Yeung, also worked on two blockchain games before, and the game’s Steam page has a testimonial from Thomas Wu, a League of Legends producer who is a known Web3 enthusiast. It’s not uncommon for blockchain investors to have an interest in AI, and people made the connection. In any case, Catly is still in development, and it’s impossible to know how it’ll be when finished. Hopefully, it can be an excellent game for cat lovers.