Aspyr is under fire after the latest patch for Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered dropped a set of free outfits that players say look like “AI slop” and are riddled with technical issues. The publisher shot back, stating “The outfits in the update were created by our team of artists. No AI generated assets were used in the update.”
The new outfits, released alongside the Challenge Mode update, quickly triggered a wave of complaints. Players posted screenshots of “melting sunglasses, clipping accessories, pixelated and squiggly textures, nonsensical symbols, and painted on straps and details instead of 3D ones.” One fan summed up the mood: “Even if it’s free this is nowhere near acceptable.”
The controversy deepened when lead artist Giovanni Lucca distanced himself from the patch, writing on X/Twitter: “I was not involved in the art direction of this new patch with the Challenge Mode for Tomb Raider I-II-III Remastered. None of the original developers at Saber was involved in it.”
Despite Aspyr’s public denial of AI use, skepticism remains high. Social media replies accused the publisher of lying, with one user claiming: “The patch’s key art is literally AI generated. Don’t let them gaslight you with this nothing-burger statement.” Others simply called the new outfits “hideous” and doubted the official explanation.
For players, the practical impact is clear: the patch’s technical issues affect all platforms, and there’s no ETA for a fix. Aspyr says its “top priority” is to deliver a patch to “fix the texture issues and technical bugs,” with more details promised soon. Until then, the new outfits remain in the game, and the Challenge Mode update is live.
This isn’t the first time Aspyr has had to address controversy with the remaster. Earlier, the publisher apologized after accidentally removing Lara Croft pinup posters. Crystal Dynamics also included a sensitivity warning in the collection, acknowledging “deeply harmful” racial and ethnic prejudices in the original games.
Meanwhile, fans looking for a fresh start can look ahead to Tomb Raider: Catalyst, the next entry in the series, set for release next year. It’s the first new mainline game since 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
The bottom line
- Aspyr denies using AI for the new outfits but hasn’t convinced the community.
- Technical fixes are promised, but there’s no timeline yet.
- Players frustrated by quality issues may want to wait for the next patch or the upcoming Tomb Raider: Catalyst.