Harbour Masters Confirms Years of AI Use in Ocarina of Time PC Port, Igniting Fan Backlash
Harbour Masters, the team behind the popular Ship of Harkinian PC port of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, admitted to using AI tools in their development process for years. This revelation followed a viral post on PC Gaming Wiki alleging that thousands of lines of code in their ports were AI-generated. While the team maintains that all code is reviewed by humans, fans are upset by the lack of prior disclosure and the potential use of AI in their latest Paper Mario port.
Key points
- A viral post on PC Gaming Wiki by user 'Slopiskillingretrogaming' claimed that Harbour Masters' ports, including Ship of Harkinian, contain thousands of lines of AI-generated code and assets.
- Harbour Masters confirmed that some team members have used AI tools like Claude and GitHub Copilot for years, but insisted that all code is thoroughly reviewed by humans.
- Developer Briaguya stated that the team has never checked if code was created using AI tools, focusing instead on ensuring the code works and meets quality standards.
- Harbour Masters has a publicly available AI policy that has been in place for months, which they claim will be expanded upon over time.
- The team denied using AI for image generation, stating that they have never used such tools and will not in the future.
- Developer Jeod explained that the team accepts AI contributions because their developers are spread thin across multiple ports and have varying levels of interest and availability.
Background
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a classic Nintendo game that has been the subject of various PC ports and remakes. The upcoming Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2 is scheduled for release on November 5, 2026, and has been the subject of recent coverage regarding its performance and soundtrack. The controversy around Harbour Masters' use of AI in their PC ports adds to broader discussions about the role of AI in game development and the potential impact on the quality and authenticity of retro game ports.
Why it matters
The controversy highlights growing concerns among gamers and developers about the use of AI in game development, particularly in the context of retro game ports. The backlash from fans suggests a desire for transparency and a preference for human-crafted code and assets. This incident may influence how other development teams approach AI integration and disclosure in their projects.
What to watch
Harbour Masters plans to expand their AI policy over time. The team will likely continue to face scrutiny from fans and the broader gaming community regarding their use of AI tools. The release of their Paper Mario port may also be subject to further investigation and criticism if AI use is confirmed.
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