The new criticism and the context
According to IT之家, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has again criticized Steam’s rule requiring developers to disclose the use of AI-generated content. He did so on X, intervening under a post by Matt Workman, of Fal, who argued that by 2026 AI labeling would no longer make much sense. For Sweeney, the tag amounts to forcing developers into a kind of political statement, easily exploited by online extremist groups to attack them. This is not a new position: the source recalls that in a previous interview he had called Valve’s approach “very irresponsible,” speaking of opposition groups intent on damaging the video game industry.
Sweeney’s statements remain opinions: the material does not report data supporting the thesis that the label actually fuels attack campaigns. On the other side is Valve’s position, reiterated by the source, which maintains the requirement to inform players when AI-generated content is used.
What Steam requires and how much weight it carries
IT之家 specifies that the obligation is not recent: Steam introduced it in 2024. The rule does not cover AI tools used to write code, which do not have to be reported to Valve, but cases in which elements such as graphics, soundtracks, game mechanics, text and promotional materials are generated by AI.
The practical effect is measurable, according to the figures reported by the source: of about 8,600 Steam Next Fest demos, nearly 1,700 carried the label, just under one fifth of the total. Widely followed titles such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Arc Raiders are labeled despite having garnered considerable attention. The figure suggests that the label coexists with commercial success, but does not in itself prove a causal relationship; it is a contextual element useful to the debate, not evidence in favor of either side.
The Epic paradox and the open issues
The timing is significant: the new criticism comes a few days after the revamp of the Epic store, which according to the source internally uses a “vibe coding” approach to spread AI tools through workflows. Epic claims that the new store starts up in 5.47 seconds versus the 10 seconds attributed to Steam, but numerous users report bugs and malfunctions that have not yet been resolved. The coexistence of public criticism of labeling and internal use of AI, as reported, is not in itself a contradiction — Steam’s rule concerns published content, not development tools — but it makes the controversy more ambiguous.
Valve’s silence also remains an open issue: according to IT之家, the company has not responded to Sweeney’s criticisms on several issues, including the recent Steam Deck price increase. It is unclear whether and when the company intends to revise the policy, or how it would be applied in the future. The material contains no Valve statements subsequent to those reported, nor reactions from developers other than Sweeney and Workman: these points remain to be verified.
