- Primary Subject: NetEase
- Key Update: AI fully embedded across development and operations
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: February 12, 2026
- Quick Answer: NetEase has structurally integrated AI into game creation and operations, and its financial performance remains stable during that transition.
While parts of the global gaming industry remain cautious about artificial intelligence, NetEase has taken a decisively different route.
During its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings disclosure, the company emphasized that AI is fully integrated into its development and operational structure.
NetEase isn’t brushing off AI but embracing it as a key driver of its future plans.
How Deeply Is AI Integrated Into NetEase’s Development Pipeline?
According to the company’s latest earnings report, artificial intelligence now spans the full lifecycle of game creation.
This includes early-stage concept and art production, game design systems, programming workflows, animation pipelines, and quality assurance testing.
Through the use of AI at every stage, NetEase reports stronger output capacity and more efficient workflows that once demanded extensive manpower.
The company says this is a structural integration, meaning AI is embedded into the workflow infrastructure instead of being a one-time upgrade.
NetEase leadership emphasizes that this system-wide application allows for higher-volume, scalable development while maintaining consistent output quality.
More importantly, AI is not confined to backend efficiencies. The company also credits it with enabling dynamic gameplay elements and AI-driven interactive systems within several of its flagship titles.
This suggests that the technology is influencing player-facing mechanics, not just production speed behind the scenes.
What Has Leadership Said About AI’s Role in the Company?
CEO and Director William Ding has described artificial intelligence as a foundational competency for the company’s development and operational ecosystem.
In his view, AI has already improved production efficiency in measurable ways and unlocked new interactive possibilities that would have been difficult to achieve under traditional workflows.
He noted that AI is being embedded into NetEase’s projects methodically instead of being used as a brief initiative.
The company’s strong pro-AI stance comes amid a wider industry debate, as recent public claims suggested that NetEase restricted its internal studios from using AI tools.
NetEase directly refuted those claims, stating that the alleged restrictions did not occur. Instead, the earnings announcement reaffirmed that AI adoption has been intentional, structured, and ongoing.
This places NetEase in contrast with other developers that have either distanced themselves from generative AI tools or publicly committed to limiting their usage in creative departments.
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