Call of Duty’s live-service model constantly delivers new cosmetics, skins, and other in-game items, often through weekly updates. With high-profile collaborations and massive seasonal content drops, many assumed human designers were behind it all. But as it turns out, AI has been pulling some of the weight.

The revelation came via an update to the Black Ops 6 Steam page, where Activision disclosed that its team "uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets."

Activision hasn’t detailed what is being AI-generated, leaving fans to speculate. It could be anything from minor background elements in campaign missions to intricate weapon skins or multiplayer cosmetics. However, suspicions have been growing for some time.

Recently, CoD players raised alarms over a Black Ops 6 holiday-themed Loading Screen featuring a zombified Santa—who bizarrely had six fingers. Another controversy arose when an AI detection tool flagged a new Zombies map logo as likely AI-generated.

Many fans have long suspected AI involvement, and this confirmation only validates what they already believed.

According to a 2024 WIRED investigation, Activision Blizzard began incorporating AI tools into its game development pipelines as early as 2023. By mid-2023, the company had approved generative AI for concept art and marketing materials. By the end of the year, it had reportedly sold its first AI-generated cosmetics in Modern Warfare 3.