Epic Video games CEO Tim Sweeney has criticised rival Valve for forcing studios to reveal once they use AI in sport improvement.
Since 2024, Valve has required builders to reveal on Steam whether or not generative AI was used within the creation of their video games. This then seems on the sport’s retailer web page in a bit referred to as ‘AI Generated Content material Disclosure’.
This was reportedly tweaked in January 2026 to make it clearer to builders that the 2 primary varieties of AI that wanted a disclosure are using AI to generate content material for the sport, or AI content material generated throughout gameplay, whereas “AI-powered instruments” corresponding to code helpers don’t must be disclosed.
In a brand new interview with PC Gamer, Sweeney has criticised Steam’s necessities, claiming that any developer who declares that it makes use of AI to generate content material for its sport dangers being vilified by gamers.
“It’s unlucky we’re on this state of affairs,” Sweeney mentioned. “It’s unlucky that so many builders now are put into this place.
“If you wish to launch a sport, and get it as broadly publicized as potential, you’ve obtained to place it on Steam so individuals can want listing it, and if you wish to play it on Steam, then you need to get this Scarlet Letter of AI connected to your product, and now there’s a hater neighborhood attempting to kill the sport.
“I believe it’s actually irresponsible of Valve. They shouldn’t do it, as a result of it makes it a lot, a lot, a lot more durable for a sport developer to have an opportunity of success. You must select from both not utilizing instruments that may make you far more productive, and possibly failing because of competitors that does.”
Sweeney’s feedback ought to come as no shock on condition that Epic Video games has began speaking extra this month about its upcoming Unreal Engine 6 and its heavy concentrate on integration with AI fashions like Claude and Gemini.
Earlier this month at a State of Unreal occasion in Chicago, Epic confirmed how AI giant language fashions (LLMs) can be utilized immediately with Unreal Engine 6 to generate content material. Throughout an indication, it used a Claude immediate window to furnish a digital condo by asking for objects, which have been then pulled from the property library.
It later confirmed the way it might change the lighting in a metropolis scene by asking Claude to change the time of day, and even use a static picture as a reference. Epic burdened that builders may have closing management over their creations and may manually change their outcomes.
Final 12 months Sweeney mentioned on X that he didn’t see the purpose in digital sport shops flagging when a sport has used AI throughout improvement, claiming it “is unnecessary for sport shops, the place AI shall be concerned in practically all future manufacturing”.
