Graveyard Keeper 2, the anticipated sequel to Lazy Bear Games’ cult hit, has finally arrived and received largely positive feedback from the players. However, the game has also come under scrutiny from the gaming community over one question: does Graveyard Keeper 2 use AI-generated content? The answer is not clear. This is since developers outright deny the use of AI, while players firmly claim the opposite. Concerns about AI use have followed the game from its marketing campaign through to its release on September 22, 2026.
The community has debated quite a lot over this heated discussion on Steam and Reddit. It’s been a widely controversial subject for 6 months now. I did a deep dive into the matter and found some valid points from each side of the argument.
Here’s everything we know so far about the AI allegations, the developer’s response, and whether each side’s statements actually hold any merit.
Table of Contents
Does Graveyard Keeper 2 Use AI?
Francesca Falcini, the Social Media Marketing Manager of Graveyard Keeper 2, has directly claimed on Graveyard Keeper 2’s Steam FAQ that “Graveyard Keeper 2 does not have AI-generated content.”
Nevertheless, players have noticed cases where traces of AI can be seen in both the promotional artwork and the game’s own cutscenes. I noticed players pointed out the same cases multiple times. It’s a pattern, not a one-time thing, so it’s definitely worth looking into.
Why Are Players Frequently Asking About AI?
If like other players and I, you also care about transparency between developer and buyer, and the morality surrounding AI use in creative works, you probably want to know what the AI situation is like for GK2.
In each discussion page on steam or every post on the isthisAI and GraveyardKeeper subreddits, users refer to a handful of main factors.
AI Use in the Visual Art for Marketing
The earliest occasion when the AI use discussion began circulating goes back to April 2026, six months ago. One of the first examples I found that show elements mutual in AI-generated art is the game’s Steam banner.
Examine those ropes closely and you’ll see that they don’t make much sense, at least in my opinion.
Original vs. Sequel
I compared the art in the sequel with the original, and saw that the style has changed dramatically. The first game had a cozy albeit lower-quality vibe to it.
On the other side, the second game has sharper lines, better lighting, and an overall high quality. The problem is that all the charm is gone. The characters now all look like clones made by ChatGPT. I think even Gemini would’ve made better characters. Nevertheless, I firmly believe the visual art in video games shouldn’t be diluted by AI art.
AI in the Graveyard Keeper 2’s Cutscenes
As I delved deeper into the controversy, I found several users pointing out the cutscenes to be especially damning. Let’s take a closer look.
Pay close attention to how the character with the robe is holding the lantern in his hand. Do I even have to say that’s not how humans hold the ring of a lantern. The palm should be facing up.
The generic poses these characters have can be another giveaway. I can tell you these resemble the kinds of poses AI models like ChatGPT often produce for their characters. Another clue is how the zombie and the knight are staring each other down. Blank, semi-sad facial expressions on the characters are another thing that feels off.
CTO’s Open Support for AI
The CTO of Lazy Bear Games, Slava Cherkasov has openly admitted to using AI, though clarified never during the development of GK2. Perhaps the most notable example is this post of him on Twitter showing him using AI image generation recreationally on GK2’s art.
How Did the Developers Respond?
In this Reddit post, Slava denies any AI use for GK2
So naturally I looked up who these 8 artists are. The credits at the end of the game do in fact prove there are at least 8 artists on the team.
Lazy Bear Games AI (Art Team)
The credited art team for the game is as follows:
| Lead Artist | Pavel Malakhov |
| UI Lead, Art Style Heritage Holder, 3D Modeler | Aleksandr Minichev |
| Animation Lead | Aleksei Zaikin |
| Artist | Aleksei Nikolaev |
| Artist | Daniil Yamsya |
| Artist, 3D Modeler | Vadim Minnebaev |
| Artist, 3D Modeler | Timur Bulatov |
| Artist, 3D Modeler | Dmitry Vetrov |
| Artist, Animator | Ekaterina Gorbunova |
Therefore, it appears there are real people working on the game’s art, even the cutscenes. But just because there are artists on the team, it doesn’t mean the artists themselves did not use AI. What some artists do is trace over AI-generated images.
I’ll put it in simple terms: Initially the artworks are created by AI, and then the human artist draws over them or uses the photo as the underlying reference. So although the image might have five fingers for each character, or inconsistency with the clothing, the uncanny effect of AI art might still remain.
However, I must emphasize once more that these are all speculations made by users online, not actual proof.
FAQ
Was AI used in any other aspects of game development such as voice acting or coding?
Much like the visual aspect of the game, nobody can provide a definite answer. However, there are few reports about AI use for coding and voice acting since the game has human voice actors. Additionally, there is less sensitivity for AI use when it comes to coding, and the voice actors do not sound artificial.
Does Graveyard Keeper 2 use AI?
There is no concrete evidence to suggest so, but players still insist on AI being used for the artworks, especially the cutscene slides and the game’s poster.
Does Steam guarantee no AI use when the developer claims as such?
Lazy Bear Games officially denied any use of AI during their game development, but Steam can’t independently confirm or deny this claim. You have to take their words for it.
Graveyard Keeper 2
Besides not being able to see the ends, what exactly about the ropes don’t make sense? It looks like what a lashing looks like. The ends are usually tied off somewhere, which could easily be behind anything in the pic. Or they just didn’t draw them.
Also, the hand thing is a huge stretch. Countless fantasy pics show holding a lantern with palm down. I wouldnt hold a lantern palm up. It’s awkward.
Well, the character isn’t even holding the lantern with his palm down. It is literally sideways. Take a close look at the thumb; it looks like the character is holding the lantern between his ring and middle fingers. I know drawing hands is hard, but it’s still no excuse to use AI-generated images and advertise it as otherwise.
The lashing has extra ropes where there is no other ropes(if that makes sense). If ye look at the rope around the sharp stake you will see two loops of rope, the first loop is clearly part of a rope we see, but the second loop looks like it is part of a second loop. This is likely a failure of AI generation as it partially generated 2 loops but 1 rope, rather than 2 loops 2 ropes or 1 loop 1rope)