Over 85% of Japanese game developers are now using generative AI.
According to the latest data released by CESA around the Tokyo Game Show 2026, 85.8% of surveyed Japanese game developers used generative AI. This marks a significant increase from 51% in 2025.
Among respondents, 63% use it daily, while another 22.8% use it occasionally. The survey covered companies such as Capcom, Sega, Konami, and Level-5.
Developers stated that AI helps them save time, accelerate development speed, and reduce costs. Meanwhile, many companies have retained manual review mechanisms, restricted the AI tools that can be used, and avoided directly incorporating AI-generated materials into final games.
Last year, some of the most common uses included art and image creation, writing, programming support, and work on internal game engines.