What happens when the future of influencer marketing collides with the uncanny valley? That’s the uncomfortable question raised by Nexon’s latest ad scandal. The publisher of The First Descendant recently came under fire after TikTok ads for the game featured “streamers” who weren’t human at all—they were AI-generated faces with oddly lifeless eyes and robotic deliveries.

Figure 1. TikTok

At a glance, the clips looked like just another batch of influencer endorsements. But the longer you watched, the stranger they became: jittery movements, stiff smiles, and voices that felt off-beat with the visuals. To make matters worse, one of the digital doubles appeared to imitate the likeness of a real streamer, DanieltheDemon, who quickly clarified he had no involvement. Figure 1 shows TikTok.

The controversy stems from Nexon’s use of TikTok’s Creative Challenge, a program that allows creators to submit content to be repurposed as official brand advertising. In theory, it’s a way to democratize ad creation and reward creators financially. In practice, however, the system failed to catch that some submissions were AI fakes. Nexon has since admitted to discovering “irregularities” and is now conducting a joint investigation with TikTok to trace what went wrong.

For the gaming community, the episode strikes a nerve. Influencer culture thrives on authenticity, and players often trust streamers’ opinions more than corporate ads [1]. Replacing real creators with AI-driven impostors not only risks alienating fans but also undermines the very model that has helped games grow through grassroots communities.

The bigger question, though, is where this leads. As AI content becomes harder to distinguish from the real thing, brands will face growing scrutiny over how—and whether—they use it. Are AI-generated influencers a clever cost-cutting tool, or are they a shortcut that sacrifices trust for expediency?

For The First Descendant, the answer is already playing out: instead of building hype for its new season, the ads have sparked a debate about authenticity, ethics, and the future of marketing in the AI era.

References:

1. https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/game-publisher-caught-using-ai-175321123.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Cite this article:

Keerthana S (2025), Game Publisher Denies Using AI Influencers, Blames TikTok Submissions and Promises Probe into App Irregularities, AnaTechMaz, pp.3