Company Of Heroes Dev Wants To Release Games Faster But Isn't Going All In On AI

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https://www.gamespot.com/articles/company-of-heroes-dev-wants-to-release-games-faster-but-isnt-going-all-in-on-ai/1100-6535317/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f

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Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment is keen to make and release games faster, CEO Justin Dowdeswell said in a new interview, but the company isn't banking on AI to get there.

In an interview with GI.biz, Dowdeswell said one of the company's Achilles heels is that it has taken too long to release new games. "There's long stretches of time between game releases, and you lose touch with the players, people lose touch with what you're up to--and they generally cost a lot more, the longer they take," he said.

Part of what Relic will look to do in the future is "get to market more frequently," and that doesn't mean the company wants to lower the quality bar and simply ship things faster for the sake of it.

How can Relic achieve this? Already, the studio has improved how fast it can prototype new ideas, Dowdeswell said, noting that staffers can now get a prototype up and running in four weeks. The executive added that improving project management and specifically controlling scope is another way.

Could AI help Relic make games even faster, as some developers are attempting? Dowdeswell said businesses around the world today are "trying to figure out" how AI can help them, and right now, AI tools and systems are helpful for Relic in "workflows around the office."

"Even just reviewing something or summarizing something. I get more done. And I think that there's something in that concept of getting more done, that's part of where the power is," he said.

As for actual game development, Dowdeswell said humans will continue to be essential to the process. "We still need people making decisions, we still need people coming up with ideas, we still need people creating an architecture," he said. "And for me at least, it's not about replacing people, it's just [about taking] some of the slightly more annoying things off the list and getting them done more quickly. There's power in that."

Dowdeswell said AI may be able to be implemented in game development to help people with "augmenting skills" they already have.

Relic "can't ignore" AI, Dowdeswell said, but he's not ready to go all-in yet, either. "So I think understanding how it serves us and where it serves us is the starting point. And then as we gain experience with it, understanding where we want it to stop, I think that's important," he said.

Another area of concern around AI for Relic is regarding public perception. Right now, Dowdeswell said, "I don't think we have an answer for that," but it's something the studio is "in the middle of figuring out collectively."

People have concerns about AI for a variety of reasons, including the possibility of job losses, copyright and plagiarism issues, and a number of other elements. Thanks in part to AI, Nvidia's market cap has exceeded $4 trillion and the company is now the world's most valuable by a significant margin. Some have expressed fears of an AI bubble that could pop and lead to a number of negative consequences.

Sony has been using AI tools for game development for years, crediting machine-learning systems for helping speed up development on Marvel's Spider-Man 2. EA Sports said CFB 25 might not have turned out as good without the developers using machine-learning and AI. Meanwhile, Candy Crush developers who got laid off by Activision Blizzard said they are being replaced by AI tools they helped create. A recent report from Financial Times said EA might look to further implement AI systems to help ramp up development amid its private sale to an investor consortium.

content_html

Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment is keen to make and release games faster, CEO Justin Dowdeswell said in a new interview, but the company isn't banking on AI to get there.

In an interview with GI.biz, Dowdeswell said one of the company's Achilles heels is that it has taken too long to release new games. "There's long stretches of time between game releases, and you lose touch with the players, people lose touch with what you're up to--and they generally cost a lot more, the longer they take," he said.

Part of what Relic will look to do in the future is "get to market more frequently," and that doesn't mean the company wants to lower the quality bar and simply ship things faster for the sake of it.

How can Relic achieve this? Already, the studio has improved how fast it can prototype new ideas, Dowdeswell said, noting that staffers can now get a prototype up and running in four weeks. The executive added that improving project management and specifically controlling scope is another way.

Could AI help Relic make games even faster, as some developers are attempting? Dowdeswell said businesses around the world today are "trying to figure out" how AI can help them, and right now, AI tools and systems are helpful for Relic in "workflows around the office."

"Even just reviewing something or summarizing something. I get more done. And I think that there's something in that concept of getting more done, that's part of where the power is," he said.

As for actual game development, Dowdeswell said humans will continue to be essential to the process. "We still need people making decisions, we still need people coming up with ideas, we still need people creating an architecture," he said. "And for me at least, it's not about replacing people, it's just [about taking] some of the slightly more annoying things off the list and getting them done more quickly. There's power in that."

Dowdeswell said AI may be able to be implemented in game development to help people with "augmenting skills" they already have.

Relic "can't ignore" AI, Dowdeswell said, but he's not ready to go all-in yet, either. "So I think understanding how it serves us and where it serves us is the starting point. And then as we gain experience with it, understanding where we want it to stop, I think that's important," he said.

Another area of concern around AI for Relic is regarding public perception. Right now, Dowdeswell said, "I don't think we have an answer for that," but it's something the studio is "in the middle of figuring out collectively."

People have concerns about AI for a variety of reasons, including the possibility of job losses, copyright and plagiarism issues, and a number of other elements. Thanks in part to AI, Nvidia's market cap has exceeded $4 trillion and the company is now the world's most valuable by a significant margin. Some have expressed fears of an AI bubble that could pop and lead to a number of negative consequences.

Sony has been using AI tools for game development for years, crediting machine-learning systems for helping speed up development on Marvel's Spider-Man 2. EA Sports said CFB 25 might not have turned out as good without the developers using machine-learning and AI. Meanwhile, Candy Crush developers who got laid off by Activision Blizzard said they are being replaced by AI tools they helped create. A recent report from Financial Times said EA might look to further implement AI systems to help ramp up development amid its private sale to an investor consortium.

content_text

Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment is keen to make and release games faster, CEO Justin Dowdeswell said in a new interview, but the company isn't banking on AI to get there.In an interview with GI.biz, Dowdeswell said one of the company's Achilles heels is that it has taken too long to release new games. "There's long stretches of time between game releases, and you lose touch with the players, people lose touch with what you're up to--and they generally cost a lot more, the longer they take," he said.Part of what Relic will look to do in the future is "get to market more frequently," and that doesn't mean the company wants to lower the quality bar and simply ship things faster for the sake of it.How can Relic achieve this? Already, the studio has improved how fast it can prototype new ideas, Dowdeswell said, noting that staffers can now get a prototype up and running in four weeks. The executive added that improving project management and specifically controlling scope is another way.Could AI help Relic make games even faster, as some developers are attempting? Dowdeswell said businesses around the world today are "trying to figure out" how AI can help them, and right now, AI tools and systems are helpful for Relic in "workflows around the office.""Even just reviewing something or summarizing something. I get more done. And I think that there's something in that concept of getting more done, that's part of where the power is," he said.As for actual game development, Dowdeswell said humans will continue to be essential to the process. "We still need people making decisions, we still need people coming up with ideas, we still need people creating an architecture," he said. "And for me at least, it's not about replacing people, it's just [about taking] some of the slightly more annoying things off the list and getting them done more quickly. There's power in that."Dowdeswell said AI may be able to be implemented in game development to help people with "augmenting skills" they already have.Relic "can't ignore" AI, Dowdeswell said, but he's not ready to go all-in yet, either. "So I think understanding how it serves us and where it serves us is the starting point. And then as we gain experience with it, understanding where we want it to stop, I think that's important," he said.Another area of concern around AI for Relic is regarding public perception. Right now, Dowdeswell said, "I don't think we have an answer for that," but it's something the studio is "in the middle of figuring out collectively."People have concerns about AI for a variety of reasons, including the possibility of job losses, copyright and plagiarism issues, and a number of other elements. Thanks in part to AI, Nvidia's market cap has exceeded $4 trillion and the company is now the world's most valuable by a significant margin. Some have expressed fears of an AI bubble that could pop and lead to a number of negative consequences.Sony has been using AI tools for game development for years, crediting machine-learning systems for helping speed up development on Marvel's Spider-Man 2. EA Sports said CFB 25 might not have turned out as good without the developers using machine-learning and AI. Meanwhile, Candy Crush developers who got laid off by Activision Blizzard said they are being replaced by AI tools they helped create. A recent report from Financial Times said EA might look to further implement AI systems to help ramp up development amid its private sale to an investor consortium.

pub_date

8 October 2025, 8:10 pm

guid

1100-6535317

creator

Eddie Makuch

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TRUE

id: 84518
uid: AXVdw
insdate: 2025-10-08 21:20:02
title: Company Of Heroes Dev Wants To Release Games Faster But Isn't Going All In On AI
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category: Game Spot
md5: 9ad53a4fdf4cdb0054fe3fa6e38afddd
link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/company-of-heroes-dev-wants-to-release-games-faster-but-isnt-going-all-in-on-ai/1100-6535317/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f
image: https://www.gamespot.com/a/uploads/screen_medium/1179/11799911/4582330-screenshot2025-10-08at3.50.41 pm.png
image_imgur:
description:

Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment is keen to make and release games faster, CEO Justin Dowdeswell said in a new interview, but the company isn't banking on AI to get there.

In an interview with GI.biz, Dowdeswell said one of the company's Achilles heels is that it has taken too long to release new games. "There's long stretches of time between game releases, and you lose touch with the players, people lose touch with what you're up to--and they generally cost a lot more, the longer they take," he said.

Part of what Relic will look to do in the future is "get to market more frequently," and that doesn't mean the company wants to lower the quality bar and simply ship things faster for the sake of it.

How can Relic achieve this? Already, the studio has improved how fast it can prototype new ideas, Dowdeswell said, noting that staffers can now get a prototype up and running in four weeks. The executive added that improving project management and specifically controlling scope is another way.

Could AI help Relic make games even faster, as some developers are attempting? Dowdeswell said businesses around the world today are "trying to figure out" how AI can help them, and right now, AI tools and systems are helpful for Relic in "workflows around the office."

"Even just reviewing something or summarizing something. I get more done. And I think that there's something in that concept of getting more done, that's part of where the power is," he said.

As for actual game development, Dowdeswell said humans will continue to be essential to the process. "We still need people making decisions, we still need people coming up with ideas, we still need people creating an architecture," he said. "And for me at least, it's not about replacing people, it's just [about taking] some of the slightly more annoying things off the list and getting them done more quickly. There's power in that."

Dowdeswell said AI may be able to be implemented in game development to help people with "augmenting skills" they already have.

Relic "can't ignore" AI, Dowdeswell said, but he's not ready to go all-in yet, either. "So I think understanding how it serves us and where it serves us is the starting point. And then as we gain experience with it, understanding where we want it to stop, I think that's important," he said.

Another area of concern around AI for Relic is regarding public perception. Right now, Dowdeswell said, "I don't think we have an answer for that," but it's something the studio is "in the middle of figuring out collectively."

People have concerns about AI for a variety of reasons, including the possibility of job losses, copyright and plagiarism issues, and a number of other elements. Thanks in part to AI, Nvidia's market cap has exceeded $4 trillion and the company is now the world's most valuable by a significant margin. Some have expressed fears of an AI bubble that could pop and lead to a number of negative consequences.

Sony has been using AI tools for game development for years, crediting machine-learning systems for helping speed up development on Marvel's Spider-Man 2. EA Sports said CFB 25 might not have turned out as good without the developers using machine-learning and AI. Meanwhile, Candy Crush developers who got laid off by Activision Blizzard said they are being replaced by AI tools they helped create. A recent report from Financial Times said EA might look to further implement AI systems to help ramp up development amid its private sale to an investor consortium.


content_html:

Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment is keen to make and release games faster, CEO Justin Dowdeswell said in a new interview, but the company isn't banking on AI to get there.

In an interview with GI.biz, Dowdeswell said one of the company's Achilles heels is that it has taken too long to release new games. "There's long stretches of time between game releases, and you lose touch with the players, people lose touch with what you're up to--and they generally cost a lot more, the longer they take," he said.

Part of what Relic will look to do in the future is "get to market more frequently," and that doesn't mean the company wants to lower the quality bar and simply ship things faster for the sake of it.

How can Relic achieve this? Already, the studio has improved how fast it can prototype new ideas, Dowdeswell said, noting that staffers can now get a prototype up and running in four weeks. The executive added that improving project management and specifically controlling scope is another way.

Could AI help Relic make games even faster, as some developers are attempting? Dowdeswell said businesses around the world today are "trying to figure out" how AI can help them, and right now, AI tools and systems are helpful for Relic in "workflows around the office."

"Even just reviewing something or summarizing something. I get more done. And I think that there's something in that concept of getting more done, that's part of where the power is," he said.

As for actual game development, Dowdeswell said humans will continue to be essential to the process. "We still need people making decisions, we still need people coming up with ideas, we still need people creating an architecture," he said. "And for me at least, it's not about replacing people, it's just [about taking] some of the slightly more annoying things off the list and getting them done more quickly. There's power in that."

Dowdeswell said AI may be able to be implemented in game development to help people with "augmenting skills" they already have.

Relic "can't ignore" AI, Dowdeswell said, but he's not ready to go all-in yet, either. "So I think understanding how it serves us and where it serves us is the starting point. And then as we gain experience with it, understanding where we want it to stop, I think that's important," he said.

Another area of concern around AI for Relic is regarding public perception. Right now, Dowdeswell said, "I don't think we have an answer for that," but it's something the studio is "in the middle of figuring out collectively."

People have concerns about AI for a variety of reasons, including the possibility of job losses, copyright and plagiarism issues, and a number of other elements. Thanks in part to AI, Nvidia's market cap has exceeded $4 trillion and the company is now the world's most valuable by a significant margin. Some have expressed fears of an AI bubble that could pop and lead to a number of negative consequences.

Sony has been using AI tools for game development for years, crediting machine-learning systems for helping speed up development on Marvel's Spider-Man 2. EA Sports said CFB 25 might not have turned out as good without the developers using machine-learning and AI. Meanwhile, Candy Crush developers who got laid off by Activision Blizzard said they are being replaced by AI tools they helped create. A recent report from Financial Times said EA might look to further implement AI systems to help ramp up development amid its private sale to an investor consortium.


content_text: Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment is keen to make and release games faster, CEO Justin Dowdeswell said in a new interview, but the company isn't banking on AI to get there.In an interview with GI.biz, Dowdeswell said one of the company's Achilles heels is that it has taken too long to release new games. "There's long stretches of time between game releases, and you lose touch with the players, people lose touch with what you're up to--and they generally cost a lot more, the longer they take," he said.Part of what Relic will look to do in the future is "get to market more frequently," and that doesn't mean the company wants to lower the quality bar and simply ship things faster for the sake of it.How can Relic achieve this? Already, the studio has improved how fast it can prototype new ideas, Dowdeswell said, noting that staffers can now get a prototype up and running in four weeks. The executive added that improving project management and specifically controlling scope is another way.Could AI help Relic make games even faster, as some developers are attempting? Dowdeswell said businesses around the world today are "trying to figure out" how AI can help them, and right now, AI tools and systems are helpful for Relic in "workflows around the office.""Even just reviewing something or summarizing something. I get more done. And I think that there's something in that concept of getting more done, that's part of where the power is," he said.As for actual game development, Dowdeswell said humans will continue to be essential to the process. "We still need people making decisions, we still need people coming up with ideas, we still need people creating an architecture," he said. "And for me at least, it's not about replacing people, it's just [about taking] some of the slightly more annoying things off the list and getting them done more quickly. There's power in that."Dowdeswell said AI may be able to be implemented in game development to help people with "augmenting skills" they already have.Relic "can't ignore" AI, Dowdeswell said, but he's not ready to go all-in yet, either. "So I think understanding how it serves us and where it serves us is the starting point. And then as we gain experience with it, understanding where we want it to stop, I think that's important," he said.Another area of concern around AI for Relic is regarding public perception. Right now, Dowdeswell said, "I don't think we have an answer for that," but it's something the studio is "in the middle of figuring out collectively."People have concerns about AI for a variety of reasons, including the possibility of job losses, copyright and plagiarism issues, and a number of other elements. Thanks in part to AI, Nvidia's market cap has exceeded $4 trillion and the company is now the world's most valuable by a significant margin. Some have expressed fears of an AI bubble that could pop and lead to a number of negative consequences.Sony has been using AI tools for game development for years, crediting machine-learning systems for helping speed up development on Marvel's Spider-Man 2. EA Sports said CFB 25 might not have turned out as good without the developers using machine-learning and AI. Meanwhile, Candy Crush developers who got laid off by Activision Blizzard said they are being replaced by AI tools they helped create. A recent report from Financial Times said EA might look to further implement AI systems to help ramp up development amid its private sale to an investor consortium.
pub_date: 8 October 2025, 8:10 pm
guid: 1100-6535317
creator: Eddie Makuch
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