In a recent turn of events, Wizards of the Coast, the company behind the popular card game Magic: The Gathering, has once again found themselves entangled in controversy regarding the alleged use of AI-generated images. This time, the accusations involve the promotional cards for the game.

On January 4, the official Magic: The Gathering Twitter account shared a photo of some lands in retro frames, captioned with the hashtag #MTGRavnica. Almost immediately, users started speculating that the company had utilized AI technology to create the artwork. Numerous comments on the post expressed skepticism, with one user even suggesting that the image appeared to be a combination of AI generation and human photoshopping.

Responding to the growing concerns, Magic: The Gathering made a follow-up post addressing the allegations and confirming that the art had been created by humans and not AI. They acknowledged the confusion caused by the different artistic style displayed in the image, but stood by their statement.

This incident comes after Wizards of the Coast previously faced scrutiny for their use of AI-generated content in their Dungeons and Dragons sourcebook, "Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants." The revelation led to the company revising their artistic guidelines and enforcing strict rules against the use of AI art generation in D&D products.

While some may argue that these recent accusations are unsubstantiated, the incident has undoubtedly damaged Wizards of the Coast's reputation. A previous false accusation of AI usage for another book further exacerbated the company's credibility woes, despite the claims being proven baseless.

In an attempt to regain the trust of their fanbase, Wizards of the Coast has reiterated their commitment to refrain from using AI in the creation of Magic: The Gathering products. They have made public statements reaffirming their stance and have implemented stricter guidelines for contributors, emphasizing the prohibition of AI generative tools in the development process.

As Wizards of the Coast attempts to address the fallout from these accusations, Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts eagerly anticipate further news and updates about the game. One recent collaboration has even combined the world of Magic: The Gathering with the popular video game Fallout, resulting in a Secret Lair Drop that has sparked excitement among fans.

The situation remains ongoing, and fans and critics alike will be closely watching how Wizards of the Coast navigates these additional allegations and works towards rebuilding trust with their dedicated player base.