Humankind 2 Trailer Accused of Using AI — Studio Says It Was Real Actors and Practical Sets

Players suspected generative AI when the announcement trailer for Humankind 2 looked uncanny. Developer Amplitude Studios says that suspicion is misplaced.

The trailer premiered on 25 August 2026 at Gamescom Opening Night Live, held at Koelnmesse Hall 1 in Cologne, Germany (Gamescom). Presented as a world premiere on Amplitude's official YouTube channel, the video is a live-action cinematic montage filmed from the perspective of a newborn moving through different eras of history. Viewers quickly flagged the footage's unusual, slightly off appearance as possible generative AI — AI tools that produce images or video from text prompts — and the accusations spread across social media.

Amplitude responded the same week in a statement on X (Twitter), as reported by Eurogamer on 26 August 2026. The studio stated flatly that no generative AI was used in the trailer's production (Eurogamer). According to the studio, the footage was filmed at Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria, using real actors, practical sets, and custom-made props. Amplitude said it would share behind-the-scenes images from the shoot soon to back that up.

The whole episode landed at a moment when AI-generated content is under intense scrutiny across the games industry. Trailers, promotional art, and even in-game assets have faced similar accusations in recent months, making audiences quicker to question what they see on screen — sometimes correctly, sometimes not.

Humankind 2 is the sequel to Amplitude's 2021 title Humankind, a 4X strategy game — the genre name refers to "explore, expand, exploit, exterminate," a formula for empire-building turn-based strategy. The studio describes it as Amplitude's second foray into the historical strategy space (Amplitude community blog). The game is slated for release in 2027 on PC.

For now, Amplitude's position is clear: the trailer was shot on a physical soundstage with flesh-and-blood performers, not generated by an algorithm. Whether the promised behind-the-scenes images settle the debate will depend on what they show — and on how much trust the audience is willing to extend.