Discussions of AI resurfaced online after a user posted a viral tweet on X, showing them modding the action role-playing game Elden Ring by combining it with written code directly from Minecraft.
The viral trend of using AI to combine two or more games together has divided the modding community. Some users online have praised AI in this regard, seeing it as a tool for coders that can help improve the creation of future mods.
John Shedletsky, a renowned software engineer in the gaming industry, responded in a tweet saying: “this is incredible thank you for sharing”. Others have criticised AI, dismissing it as “AI slop” and seeing it as disrupting the modding experience.
Modding is a term used to describe the change in the code of a video game. This can include changes to textures, performance or even the game in its entirety. AI programmes such as Vibe Coding and Claude Opus 5.5 are among the models used to provide video games with AI-assisted mods.
Elden ring combined with Minecraft is just one of many examples online of video games being merged together. As seen on this tweet on X, code from Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed can now be modded to have the protagonist Ezio Auditore fully playable on a map from Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2.
Other modders online have also been successful at modding other games using AI. This includes Skate 3 merging with GTA Vice City, Marvel’s Spider-Man web swinging in Gotham City from Batman: Arkham Knight and Super Mario exploring the world of Halo.
An article published in 2023 by Game Developer warned of the possible consequences of generative AI being used in the gaming industry. Chris Kerr, the news editor for Game Developer, shared his concerns, describing developers as being “on edge” over the advancement of generative AI in video games and warning that it could lead to widespread layoffs at major companies.
Artificial Intelligence has reached another major breakthrough in the gaming industry. Now that video games can easily be coded to fuse two or more games together, it’s unclear what this milestone means for other forms of media entertainment.