We found no report or official statement saying Stupid Never Dies was made with generative AI. Most AI questions come from the studio's name: GPTRACK50 contains the letters "GPT", so forum posts joked about a "ChatGPT game". The studio was announced by NetEase in late October 2022, about a month before ChatGPT launched, so the name is not a reference to it. The studio has not publicly explained what the name means.
Where the AI question comes from
When the game was announced, forum threads poked fun at the developer's name, with replies like "ChatGPT game confirmed!". Those were jokes about three letters, not reports about how the game was built.
We checked the Steam listing, the official site and major reviews for an AI disclosure or AI controversy. We did not find one. If that changes, we will add it here with a date and a source.
GPTRACK50 came before ChatGPT
NetEase Games announced GPTRACK50 at the end of October 2022 as a new studio in Osaka led by former Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi. ChatGPT was released at the end of November 2022.
The studio said it wanted to make original games that could expand into films, novels and manga. Stupid Never Dies is its first game, co-published with SEGA.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct 2022 | NetEase announces GPTRACK50 |
| Nov 2022 | ChatGPT is released |
| Dec 2025 | Stupid Never Dies revealed at The Game Awards |
| Oct 21, 2026 | Launch on PS5 and PC |
What is known about how it was made
The team is led by Capcom veterans, including director Eiichiro Sasaki and art director Genseki Tanaka. The developers say the game took about three years, shorter than the five to six years they expect for a game of this scale.
The game runs on Unreal Engine 5 but uses a stylized, hand-drawn look instead of photorealism. The developers have discussed Styles, combat and progression in interviews, with credited artists, designers and programmers.
AI in the game itself
Inside the game, "AI" usually means enemy behaviour. Each dungeon dive generates new floors, and bosses have their own attack patterns to learn. Our bosses guide and beginner tips cover how to read them.
If you want to judge the art and writing yourself, the free First Bite Demo covers the opening hours. See our demo guide.
Sources and further reading
- Steam full-game listing
- Official English game website
- Wikipedia: Stupid Never Dies
- VGC: Hiroyuki Kobayashi leads new NetEase studio — October 2022
- PCGamesInsider: NetEase establishes GPTRACK50
- VGC: interview with Hiroyuki Kobayashi — April 16, 2026
- GPTRACK50 / Weekly Famitsu developer interview — May 1, 2026
- GPTRACK50 First Bite Demo announcement — September 4, 2026
- Steam First Bite Demo listing