Wild Rift 'aniversary' video looks AI — David Xu apologizes

7 minutes Kevin Leye

A video celebrating Wild Rift’s anniversary briefly appeared on the game’s official Weibo channel and immediately raised eyebrows for looking suspiciously AI-generated. Fans spotted telltale oddities, from a misspelled aniversary title card to rubbery faces and morphing props, and voiced their frustration. Executive producer David Xu apologized, calling it a creator-made video that didn’t meet Riot’s bar and promising to do better, but stopped short of confirming whether AI tools were used. The clip was taken down, yet the incident has reignited a wider debate about AI in official game comms and where studios should draw the line.

What happened, in a nutshell The post in question was meant to celebrate Wild Rift’s third anniversary. Instead, it sparked a mini-firestorm. The video showed a flashy concert featuring favorites like Jinx, Seraphine, and Yasuo performing for a crowd that, at times, looked unsettlingly synthetic. The opening text misspelled anniversary as aniversary and the R in 3rd looked off enough to pull you out of the moment. Throughout the clip, fans noted visual hitches you’d expect from early-stage generative tools: awkward facial rigs, tails and accessories that didn’t behave consistently, and props that seemed to change shape frame-to-frame. One lyric in particular, Can we turn up the blower higher, read like a mistranslation and became a running joke among viewers.

The video didn’t last long. After criticism mounted, it was quickly removed. In response, David Xu acknowledged that the piece came from a creator, admitted it didn’t meet Riot’s quality standards, and thanked players for the feedback, adding a promise that the team can and will do better. Importantly, the message did not confirm that AI tools were involved, leaving the community to connect dots based on visual evidence and the broader context.

Why fans reacted the way they did Players aren’t allergic to fun, scrappy content. But when something is posted on an official channel, expectations rise. Three big factors drove the backlash:

  • Authenticity and trust: When a clip feels machine-made, it clashes with the handcrafted identity that Wild Rift and the wider League ecosystem have built through music videos, cinematics, and character-driven storytelling. Fans want to feel the artists behind the art.

  • Quality control: Misspellings and visual glitches suggest the pipeline lacked the basic checks you’d expect before anything gets a green light. For a celebration moment, it stings more.

  • AI fatigue: The community-wide conversation about AI has grown louder. Many players are wary of generative tools replacing human craft or muddying the identity of a brand they love. Even the suspicion of AI can sour the mood if it’s not clearly labeled or thoughtfully integrated.

Did AI actually make it? There’s no hard confirmation from Riot, and that matters. Still, the clip displayed a grab bag of familiar generative tells: inconsistent anatomy, oddly morphing gear, text misspellings, and the kind of uncanny concert crowd you’d see in early AI composites. The safest reading is that generative methods were involved somewhere in the production, even if a human creator assembled the final cut. If a third-party partner delivered it, that introduces another variable: vetting. Official channels need to validate both the provenance of assets and the final quality, regardless of who pressed export.

The third-party wrinkle Xu’s note framed the upload as a creator-made video that didn’t meet standards. That leaves open where it came from, what tools were used, and why it cleared the publishing gate. Community sleuthing has pointed to an AI-focused production outfit as a likely source, but without a formal confirmation, the key takeaway is simpler: brand pipelines matter. When external content flows into official feeds, there should be guardrails for authenticity, clarity, and quality, with clear labels if AI plays a role.

What this means for Wild Rift and Riot

  • Communication trust is precious: Riot’s community buys into consistent voice and high-production flair. Even a single off-key post can spark outsized concern about priorities and process.

  • Regional channels are still global: A slip on Weibo can instantly echo across every platform. The practical fix is universal standards and local nuance, not lower bars.

  • Labeling matters: If AI assets appear in official content, label them. Saying how and why tools were used doesn’t undermine the work; it strengthens trust and invites thoughtful discussion.

  • Creator partnerships need clearer lanes: There’s room for fan-made spotlights and experiments, but they should be clearly marked as community content, not positioned as official celebration pieces.

A practical checklist for studios flirting with AI content

  • Provenance checks: Know where every asset comes from. Keep audit trails and usage rights handy.
  • QA passes across disciplines: Art, localization, and lore all get a say. If anyone raises a red flag, you pause.
  • Spellcheck and typography review: Never let a marquee moment ship with aniversary on it.
  • Native-language lyric and copy review: Machine translation is never the last step.
  • AI disclosure: If any generative tool touched the asset, say so. Bonus points for explaining the creative intent.
  • Brand guardrails for characters and tone: If Jinx feels off-model, you regroup.
  • Rapid rollback plan: Posts are reversible. Have a protocol for pulling, owning, and replacing within hours, not days.

What players actually want in anniversary content

  • Artist-forward features: Show the illustrators, animators, writers, and musicians behind the game. Process beats polish when it’s honest.
  • Community spotlights with clear framing: Celebrate fan creators while labeling their work appropriately.
  • In-game tie-ins: Missions, limited-time modes, or cosmetics that share a coherent theme with the celebration.
  • Localized moments that feel native: Regional music, voice work, and cultural beats that are checked by local experts and still meet global quality bars.

Predicting the aftermath Expect a steadier hand on official posts for a while, possibly alongside updated creator program guidelines and a renewed emphasis on in-house or partner studios with clear QA practices. We may also see a more explicit stance on AI within Riot’s communications, even if it stops short of a blanket ban. The easiest win, of course, would be to release a new, properly polished anniversary piece that captures what makes Wild Rift sing: kinetic action, strong character beats, and music that feels like a party you actually want to attend.

The bigger conversation: AI and the future of game marketing AI isn’t going away, and it can be a useful tool for brainstorming, previs, and internal iterations. The friction starts when generative artifacts cross the line into final, outward-facing brand moments without transparent context. Players can tell. They’re not anti-technology; they’re pro-craft. When studios invite their communities into the process—clearly, proudly, and with attribution—AI can sit in the toolbox without overshadowing the art.

Final take Credit where it’s due: the apology was swift, the post was removed, and the promise to improve was made. That’s the bare minimum and a reasonable first response. The real test is what comes next—clearer standards, better reviews, and content that remembers why the League universe resonates in the first place. Wild Rift thrives when its celebrations feel human, intentional, and a little bit wild. Next time, let’s spell it right, keep the guitars from turning into laser cannons mid-frame, and crank up the hype higher—not the blower.