Umamusume: Pretty Derby and Granblue Fantasy developer Cygames announced on January 9 that they have established Cygames AI Studio, a brand-new company under the Cygames umbrella. According to the announcement, the subsidiary will focus on developing and distributing AI-powered tools and services, as well as conducting research in the field of AI technology.
As the company explains, the goal of the new AI studio is to create in-house models that can be used “safely and securely” by creators, and build onto the experience Cygames has been cultivating for over a decade. “From research and development of in-house models, to providing services and tools to use in production environments, we are aiming to build a unique creation cycle that will extend creativity beyond a simple boost in efficiency,” Cygames writes. While the company is yet to reveal how exactly their in-house tools and technology are going to be used, it seems that a lot of emphasis is being put on “supporting creators” alongside keywords like “safety,” “security,” and “efficiency.”
As a company, Cygames is not new to generative AI. In one of their presentations at CEDEC 2025, the company revealed that it has been using AI tools to streamline bug ticket creation, analyze social media posts regarding their games, and checking whether their visual assets comply with moral and global cultural standards. Apparently, the company is currently considering introducing AI technology to four of their existing titles.
On a related note, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket developer DeNa has also been working on building an AI model since last year, and has been actively using it to reduce the workload of software engineers and boost their individual productivity.
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