Elon Musk has a new moonshot, and this time it isn’t rockets or self-driving cars.
On October 6, 2025, he jumped on X to announce that his AI company, xAI, will release a “great” video game built almost entirely by artificial intelligence before the end of 2026.
He broke the news with a short AI-generated first-person shooter clip made using his company’s Grok Imagine tool, teasing what xAI’s game tech could pull off.
The clip showed a soldier following a tank down a ruined street, but it was obviously just a concept video and not actual playable footage.
This isn’t Musk’s first foray into the idea of AI-driven entertainment. Last year, he promised that xAI would “make games great again,” and he has since expanded that vision to include other media.
How Is Musk’s Team Training AI to Make Games?
Grok began as a chatbot but has since evolved to include Grok Imagine, which can generate short animated scenes complete with audio and movement.
To elevate its work past simple visuals, the company is seeking human insight for model training.
One key example is the open role for a “Video Games Tutor,” which offers $45–$ 100 per hour to teach Grok about gameplay design, mechanics, world-building, and narrative flow.
They’d be responsible for labeling and explaining game content, working alongside engineers to improve the tools, and directing the AI toward producing functional, interactive systems.
The description suggests that the team is still compact and testing the waters, with AI handling much of the heavy lifting.
Musk seems to believe that generative models could enable just a few developers to build games that rival modern AAA projects, which typically require large teams of workers and substantial funding.
Why Are People Doubting Musk’s AI Game Vision?
Some think AI could help developers work faster, but argue it can’t capture the imagination, direction, and heart that come from real people.
Michael “Cromwelp” Douse, publishing director at Baldur’s Gate 3 studio Larian, responded publicly to Musk’s post, warning that more “mathematically produced” gameplay loops won’t solve the industry’s real problem, which is a lack of strong creative direction.
Douse stressed that great games require craft and emotional resonance, which AI cannot replicate on its own. That video Musk posted made players even more doubtful.
The short video was mocked for its stiff animations, sliding characters, delayed shell ejections, and sudden enemy appearances.
Why Is Building a “Great” AI Game Unrealistic for Now?
Producing a complete, well-made game within a single year pushes the limits of even seasoned studios.
AI can generate assets and build worlds, but creating a cohesive, enjoyable, and bug-free game is far more complex.
Unlike a short film or a single piece of art, a game needs complex systems that respond to players, feedback-driven loops, and extensive testing that can last months to years.
There are also significant ethical and legal questions, given that generative AI has already led to copyright clashes elsewhere, with Disney and Universal among those suing over the use of characters.
Musk himself has faced takedowns for Grok-generated images featuring Nintendo IP.
If xAI’s game models are trained on existing art and code without proper licensing, legal challenges could slow or stop development.
How Does xAI Stack Up Against Industry AI Tools?
Musk isn’t wrong that AI could change how games are made. Epic, Nvidia, and Ubisoft are already testing AI-driven dialogue and character behavior.
Industry leaders, such as Tim Sweeney, have predicted that small teams may soon be able to build games on the scale of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild using AI prompts.
Today’s AI can create striking snippets but still falls short of building complete, player-driven games. Musk’s history in tech makes people question the claim even more.
From self-driving Teslas to humanoid robots, he’s often promised rapid breakthroughs that arrive years late or fail to match the hype.
Many gamers and developers suspect this AI game project could meet the same fate — either delayed, canceled, or released as a low-effort “AI slop” game that no one truly wants to play.
AI may handle content creation, but vision and craftsmanship are what keep games truly great.
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