Epic CEO Sweeney Slams Steam AI Disclosure Policies
The dispute intensifies as generative tool use in game development continues to rise across the industry.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has publicly criticized Valve’s mandatory AI disclosure policy on Steam. The policy requires game developers to document the use of generative AI tools within their projects.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights a growing divide in the gaming industry over the transparency and governance of generative AI, with Epic Games promoting the use of AI tools while Valve seeks to manage creator misuse.
Steam's disclosure requirements force developers to document their usage of generative tools. This follows a period where the volume of AI-aided game demos effectively doubled between June and October 2026.
The players
Tim Sweeney
The CEO of Epic Games, a developer and publisher known for the Unreal Engine game development platform and the Epic Games Store.
Valve
The operator of Steam, the largest digital game marketplace for PC and a primary gatekeeper for game distribution.
The details
Valve’s current policy requires developers to submit documentation explaining how generative AI was used during the game development process. This data is processed by Steam’s recommendation algorithms, which rank and display titles to users. Sweeney argues that these requirements force developers to effectively issue political statements, contrasting with the open approach taken by Epic Games regarding AI in game jams.
Timeline
November 2025: Sweeney began campaigning against AI disclosure policies.
June 2026: Sweeney compared Steam’s AI disclosure requirements to a Scarlet Letter.
October 22, 2026: Epic Games announced a new Unreal Engine game jam allowing AI tool usage.
October 23, 2026: Tim Sweeney criticized Valve over its ongoing disclosure requirements.
The Tech Race
The industry is currently divided between platforms that enforce strict transparency and those that integrate AI tools into the development workflow. This tension reflects a larger conflict over how storefronts handle generative content in an era of rapid AI-assisted game creation.
Game developers using AI tools must now adhere to Steam's documentation requirements to maintain storefront visibility. Meanwhile, players may see an increasing volume of AI-assisted demos on the platform, even as some developers pull content due to fears of title cloning.
The takeaway
The industry's struggle to balance AI transparency with creator autonomy continues to escalate as tool usage scales. Watch for future revisions to Steam's developer documentation requirements as more developers opt to use generative AI in their production pipelines.
Further reading
For more on how major platforms are adapting to AI-generated software, visit the Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Gamesradar.
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Should digital stores require developers to disclose the use of generative AI in their games?
