‘Catly’ Creator Clears the Air: No AI, Blockchain, or NFTs in the Game

At this year’s Game Awards, the trailer for Catly, a game about cats, raised a lot of questions. The trailer showed lifelike cats in different environments, with a human character at the end, but didn’t explain what kind of game it was or how it worked. It did mention that Catly would be available on Steam and Nintendo Switch.

After the reveal, people checked out the Catly Steam page and found some strange things. The game description listed random words like “cuddle,” “snow,” “plants,” and “speed,” ending with “all with and via Cats,” leaving many confused about what the game is about.

Some viewers also wondered if the game’s visuals were created with AI. They pointed out strange details in the images on the Steam page, like weird lighting and textures that are often seen in AI-generated content.

The situation gets even more interesting. A Reddit user named r/Nat-Chem found that the creator of Catly, Kevin Yeung, has connections to AI, NFTs, and blockchain gaming. Yeung co-founded TenthPlanet, a studio that worked on blockchain games like Alien Meow, which features a “digital cat metaverse” similar to Catly.

This raised frustration among gamers, especially after streamers like Ninja and Pokimane promoted the game. Many criticized Catly as being AI-made and not a real game, with some accusing influencers of promoting it for money.

In response, the developers defended themselves. A spokesperson for SuperAuthenti, the company behind Catly, denied using AI for the game’s trailer or the game itself. They were surprised by the rumors and said that experts agreed AI couldn’t create a trailer like the one shown.

They also made it clear that Catly has no connection to blockchain or NFTs, stating that the company has never used blockchain technology or issued NFTs.

We do not think there are any existing AI tools that can produce a video like that. Industry experts have echoed this opinion.

The PR representative shared a version of the Catly trailer from The Game Awards, showing behind-the-scenes footage to prove that no AI was used in its creation. They also denied the claims that Catly is a blockchain game, saying no blockchain technology or NFTs are involved in the game or the company, according to IGN.

The statement also confirmed that Catly is being made using Unreal Engine 5 and other software to create realistic fur and hair. While the trailer is real, there are still concerns about the strange Steam page and odd promotional images. IGN reached out to SuperAuthenti for comments on these images, but the spokesperson didn’t address them, which is what started the suspicions.

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