In a recent capital markets briefing, Patrick Söderlund, the newly appointed executive chairman of Nexon and CEO of Arc Raiders and The Finals developer Embark Studios, elaborated on a topic that has captured the gaming community’s interest: AI. He focused on how Embark’s methods of integrating AI into game development can benefit Nexon’s broader teams.
During a segment titled “Redesigning Game Development,” Söderlund remarked, “Every company has a plan regarding AI, but most will misjudge its implementation.”
He further asserted, “AI may be a competitive race, but the true winners will not necessarily be the pioneers—rather, they will be those who understand the challenges.” This insight reflects Nexon’s decades of industry experience, which provides substantial context: “tens of billions of data points,” as he describes it, that AI can leverage quickly and efficiently.
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However, Söderlund highlighted that Embark Studios lacked such historical context when it was established to create The Finals and Arc Raiders. The studio concentrated on one crucial question: “What aspects require human input, and what can machines handle more efficiently?”
“Indeed, some of that involves AI,” he noted. “Yet fundamentally, it’s about encouraging a culture of smarter processes and better tools, while shedding outdated practices.”
The result of this philosophy was two games: The Finals and Arc Raiders. Both were produced with significantly fewer resources, at a cost much lower than typically associated with AAA titles.
AI tools were utilized throughout the development of both games, including AI-generated voice acting, although some of these elements are now being substituted with human performances in Arc Raiders. Söderlund remarked that “a real professional actor is superior to AI,” raising important questions about the efficacy of AI-generated content and why Embark initially opted for these tools.
Söderlund’s insights and strategic approach to AI and streamlined game development likely played a significant role in his recent promotion within Nexon, especially amidst rising costs. He emphasized, “Every leader, team, and individual in this company must ponder how to maximize productivity with improved tools, smarter workflows, and minimize time on less impactful tasks.” He further mentioned that Nexon developers are collaborating with their colleagues at Embark to reassess their processes, focusing not just on their outputs, but on the methodologies they adopt.
