Metacritic Pledges to Ban Outlets Using AI-Generated Reviews Following Resident Evil Requiem Incident

Summary

Review aggregation platform Metacritic has announced it will permanently ban publications that use AI-generated reviews, following an incident where an AI-written review slipped through its verification process. The controversy emerged when Videogamer, recently acquired by Clickout Media, published an AI-generated review of Resident Evil Requiem attributed to a fictional reviewer with no online history. Metacritic co-founder Marc Doyle stated the platform will immediately remove any AI-generated content discovered and sever ties with offending publications indefinitely pending investigation.

The incident highlighted broader concerns about AI-generated content infiltrating traditional media outlets. Videogamer's new ownership replaced its entire human writing staff with AI-generated content, creating reviews under fabricated bylines. Metacritic has since removed all of Videogamer's 2026 reviews from its platform. The company emphasized its 25-year reputation for maintaining rigorous vetting processes when adding publications to its critic slate.

The announcement comes amid growing industry pushback against generative AI in editorial content. Multiple gaming outlets, including Shacknews, have issued statements prohibiting the use of AI in their content creation and forbidding the use of their work for AI training purposes. The controversy underscores tensions between traditional human-created journalism and the rapid proliferation of AI-generated content across media platforms.

• The decision reflects broader industry concerns about AI-generated content compromising editorial integrity in gaming journalism