Epic Games Boss Throws Shade at Steam Over AI

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Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, has recently voiced concerns about Steam’s rules regarding artificial intelligence. He argues that Valve’s policy of requiring developers to reveal when they’ve used AI tools isn’t practical and is losing its value.

Starting in January 2024, Valve now requires game developers to clearly state when they’ve used AI-generated content in their game descriptions on Steam. This rule was added to the standard contract developers agree to when selling games on the platform. The change came after reports that Valve had been removing some games with AI content from Steam. Valve stated that requiring this disclosure will allow most games using AI to be released.

Epic Games Boss Says Steam’s AI Disclosure Policy ‘Makes No Sense’

In late November 2025, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, criticized Valve’s policy requiring labels on games that use artificial intelligence. He argued that this rule doesn’t make sense for game stores, as more and more games are starting to use AI technology. A report from July 2025 by Totally Human Media backs up Sweeney’s point, finding that one in five games released on Steam that year had disclosed using AI. The report also estimated that while only 7% of all Steam games currently disclose AI use, adoption is quickly increasing among game developers.

The ‘Made with AI’ Label Will Soon Be Implied for Nearly All Games, Epic CEO Predicts

Sweeney explained he doesn’t object to using labels for AI-generated content – they’re important when knowing who created something matters, like in art or when licensing content. But as more game developers start using AI, he believes these labels are becoming less useful on platforms like Steam and the Epic Games Store. He anticipates that soon, almost every game listing will require one, making the label lose its significance.

Epic Boss Likens Steam’s AI Label to Shampoo Brand Disclosure

Tim Sweeney’s comments on November 27th sparked a strong reaction online. After a user challenged his position, arguing that players should be informed about AI in games, Sweeney defended his view with a playful comparison. He suggested that if AI use needed to be disclosed, companies would also have to reveal things like what shampoo developers use, implying that such a requirement would be excessive. While many users noted the clear difference between AI and shampoo choices, Sweeney didn’t offer any further explanation.

Why limit the discussion to AI? It feels like we could start requiring developers to disclose all sorts of personal details – like what brand of shampoo they use! People seem to think customers deserve to know everything, which is a bit much.

Award-Winning Dev Pushes Back Against Sweeney’s Belief in ‘Slop Machines’

Many people online are starting to think that using AI leads to worse titles for games and other content. This feeling isn’t just among players; Thomas Bithell, the creator of the popular game Thomas Was Alone, strongly criticized Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney for supporting AI. On November 27th, Bithell posted on BlueSky, saying Sweeney seemed convinced that everyone needs AI to help with their work, even if they don’t. He implied this reliance on AI results in lower quality output.

I just find this really sad. Imagine being so certain that you need slop machines to do your work, that you convince yourself that EVERYBODY must need them. — Mike Bithell (@mikebithell.bsky.social) 2025-11-27T09:06:05.917Z

Generative AI Isn’t Going Away on Steam or Elsewhere

The recent debate around the game ARC Raiders showed that even well-regarded games aren’t safe from criticism when they use AI. If Tim Sweeney’s prediction comes true and AI becomes common in game development, players and developers might simply accept it. This could lead Valve to update its Steam rules, which currently require basic AI disclosure. Steam currently only recognizes two types of AI-generated content: assets created before release and those generated live during gameplay.

Steam’s label for AI-generated content currently covers everything from artwork and music to code, and it’s likely that code is where AI is being used the most in game development right now. A recent survey from Stack Overflow (2025) shows that 84% of users are already using or plan to use AI tools, and experienced developers are generally more positive about them than those just learning to code. Although the survey doesn’t break down usage by industry—so we don’t know if game developers use AI more than, say, web developers—it suggests Steam’s current labeling system, which applies the same label to both code and art, might already need updating.

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2025-11-27 22:06