Dominique “SonicFox” McLean has withdrawn from Nexcon 2026 after seeing promotional material for the event that used AI to generate the fighting game pro’s likeness. The flyer appeared to be entirely AI-generated, including slopified renderings of other creators who would be in attendance. Once SonicFox got wind of the promo, they immediately cancelled their appearance. “Update: Contract terminated and no longer attending! :3,” they posted on X.
Not sure who’s in charge of Nexcon but I absolutely refuse to have my likeness be AI generated and my interest in attending as a special guest has dropped to 0.
Incredibly disrespectful. https://t.co/cEaTUgUlrx
— SonicFox (@SonicFox) October 20, 2026
Not sure who’s in charge of Nexcon but I absolutely refuse to have my likeness be AI generated and my interest in attending as a special guest has dropped to 0.
Incredibly disrespectful. https://t.co/cEaTUgUlrx
— SonicFox (@SonicFox) October 20, 2026
Nexcon 2026 is a gaming, anime, and creator-focused convention put on by Ninjutsu Entertainment and held in Norman, Oklahoma. In response to SonicFox’s cancellation, Ty Bailey, one of the founders of Ninjutsu Entertainment, took to X and posted a video admitting to using AI but begging SonicFox to reconsider.
@SonicFox brother we did not mean to disrespect you hope this clears it up you love you dawg pic.twitter.com/nggEwYZJTO
— Ninjutsu Entertainment (@NinjutsuEtm) October 21, 2026
@SonicFox brother we did not mean to disrespect you hope this clears it up you love you dawg pic.twitter.com/nggEwYZJTO
— Ninjutsu Entertainment (@NinjutsuEtm) October 21, 2026
In the video, Bailey said he takes full responsibility for using genAI to create the flyer, saying that he and his business partner don’t even like the technology but had no choice but to use it because their work on Nexcon has left them with no money to spend on real artists. While Bailey did offer an apology, it came with numerous excuses, including that it’s just him and his business partner working on the convention on top of their 40-plus hours a week day jobs, that they’re inexperienced with running a convention, and that artists didn’t want to work with them after they’d already started using genAI in the first place. Bailey ends the video with an emotional plea.
“We’re not gonna stop the con, but we definitely need you SonicFox,” he said. “And I really hope you can come out here still.”
SonicFox responded with the verbal equivalent of Heihachi Mishima tossing his son off a cliff.
“I’m a forgiving person and I can hear the remorse in your voice so I forgive you,” they wrote. “However, there are still consequences to said actions that will prompt me not to attend. Use the money you offered me in contract to hire artists, and maybe next year I’ll reconsider. Sorry.”
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