Game Dev Admits To Using Midjourney—Panelists Respond With 12-Minute Groan

What began as a typical panel on “Innovative Art Pipelines in Indie Development” at QuakeCon took a dark and groan-filled turn Friday afternoon when an independent developer admitted to using Midjourney—and liking it.

The confession came from Theo “PixelDrip” Marin, a solo dev best known for his pixel-heavy roguelike “CyberCloaca.” During a Q&A, Marin casually mentioned, “I used Midjourney for some early concepts—it actually saved me weeks.”

Gasps echoed through the conference room. One audience member audibly whispered “traitor,” while another began furiously Googling Marin’s Steam profile. Panel moderator and character artist Genevieve “GenVFX” Krull tried to pivot, but the damage was done.

“That tool steals from real artists,” said panelist and concept veteran Benni “Brushlord” Kim, who then attempted to start a slow clap that no one joined.

The panel descended into chaos when someone from the crowd yelled, “But hands are hard, man!” prompting a 12-minute collective groan from the panelists, several audience members, and possibly a service ferret.

Security was called when one attendee brandished a stylus in a vaguely threatening manner, demanding Marin “draw a bicycle, right now, with no references.”

When reached for comment, QNN’s equine correspondent NewsHorse—who may or may not have been hiding under the table with an open BAWLS can and a field recorder—said, “I’ve seen developer drama before, but this was pure groanformance art. I got a hoof cramp halfway through.”

QuakeCon organizers have announced a new panel: “Conflict Resolution for Artists Who Can’t Yell Quietly,” scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Room 404.