Wizards of the Coast has reaffirmed its commitment to using real artists, writers, and creatives in the process of creating artwork and cards for Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, and other products, following two viral Twitter / X threads accusing the company of using AI art.
In one instance, fans believed an image of a dwarf warrior used to tease the 2024 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook was created with the aid of AI – but as Wizards of the Coast and the artist behind the work confirmed, it was not.
In addition, a viral Twitter / X thread accused the company of laying off staff – including digital artists – to replace them with “touch up artists” who would work with AI tools. After this thread gained traction, Wizards of the Coast addressed the allegations directly, while also providing a strong, sweeping statement against the use of AI artwork at the company, and in general.
“For 30 years, Magic: The Gathering has been built on the innovation, ingenuity, and hard work of talented people who sculpt a beautiful, creative game. That isn’t changing,” Wizards of the Coast said.
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“Our internal guidelines remain the same with regard to artificial intelligence tools: We require artists, writers, and creatives contributing to the Magic TCG to refrain from using AI generative tools to create final Magic products. We work with some of the most talented artists and creatives in the world, and we believe those people are what makes Magic great.”
In response to complaints about the dwarf warrior artwork, the company also publicly confirmed that it had investigated claims that generative AI was used, and found this to be a false accusation. “We became aware of community concerns that generative AI was used in an art piece we recently teased,” Wizards of the Coast said, via the D&D Beyond Twitter / X account. “We confirmed with the artist that no generative AI was used, which is consistent with our artist guidelines restricting it.”
“We’re happy with the artwork and hope you enjoy it as much as we do.”
Across social media, several artists have spoken out in support of the company and its work, confirming its ongoing efforts to hire real artists and creatives to work on Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
While Wizards of the Coast recently suffered major layoffs, due to restructuring at parent company Hasbro, this was not driven by AI adoption. The company’s stance on the technology has not changed, and will not change for the foreseeable future.
