Microsoft’s ID@Xbox program, dedicated to supporting and promoting indie games and developers, is currently facing social media backlash after an official post on X (Twitter) allegedly featured AI-generated art.
Although the post was swiftly deleted after users pointed out the use of AI, screenshots have since circulated on platforms like X and Reddit, intensifying the criticism.
The now-removed post, shared by the official X handle, @ID_Xbox, showcased a winter-themed landscape with the ID@Xbox logo and children playing in the snow. The caption aimed to engage followers by asking about their favorite indie games of the year, intending to spotlight underrated titles often overlooked by the gaming community.
So it seems @ID_Xbox deleted their tweet using AI art. Thankfully I still have a screenshot of the tweet below.
— Warwick (no longer active. find me on bsky etc) (@WarwickOnX) December 28, 2023
Now to wait for their apology… pic.twitter.com/OHRam2UzbB
However, users quickly spotted irregularities in the image, revealing that it was generated by AI rather than crafted by a human artist—an irony given the context of promoting independent game development. The image exhibited telltale signs of AI creation, such as peculiar black string-like lines with no apparent purpose, distorted facial features on characters, and an Xbox logo that didn’t even align with the company’s official trademark.
Despite the post’s deletion, the @ID_Xbox account has yet to acknowledge the controversy. Artists and Xbox enthusiasts on social media have criticized the move as “hypocritical.” Artist Joey Miller responded on Twitter, sarcastically stating, “Nothing says you care about independent work more than using AI for your promotional art.”
As the controversy unfolds, it remains to be seen how Microsoft and the ID@Xbox program will respond to the criticism from both artists and Xbox fans on social media.
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