Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has criticized Steam for requiring developers to disclose their use of AI on storefront pages, calling the policy “irresponsible” for a couple of reasons. This is not the first time Sweeney has taken aim at Valve’s Steam over its approach to AI labels and disclosures.
Back in 2025, Sweeney argued that Steam’s AI labels were pointless because almost every game would eventually need one. His point was that AI tools would become such an integral part of game development that disclosing their use would be almost redundant. It is true that more and more games are incorporating artificial intelligence into their development processes, and some studies even suggest that one in five games released in 2025 on Steam used some form of AI. However, Sweeney’s stance on how that information should be presented to customers remains controversial.
Epic Games CEO Throws Shade at Valve Over the Steam Deck Price Hike
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has harsh words for Valve regarding the company’s recently announced price increase for the Steam Deck.
‘They Shouldn’t Do It,’ Epic Games CEO Says About Valve’s AI Disclosures
“I think it’s really irresponsible of Valve,” Sweeney told PC Gamer while discussing Steam’s mandatory AI disclosures. “They shouldn’t do it, because it makes it much, much, much harder for a game developer to have a chance of success,” he added. The Epic Games CEO argued that AI tools should be viewed as “productivity tools” that allow smaller teams and indie studios to compete with bigger games like Fortnite. He believes Valve’s AI disclosure requirements make it harder for those developers to “compete with the incumbents” because the labels create a “hater community trying to kill the game.”
“They shouldn’t do it, because it makes it much, much, much harder for a game developer to have a chance of success.” – Epic Games CEO, Tim Sweeney
Build your perfect top ten one reveal at a time.
Swap two picks?
Pick two spots to swap before locking in your final ranking.
Build your perfect top ten one reveal at a time.
Pick two spots to swap before locking in your final ranking.
The interviewer tried to explain that many gamers’ biggest concern with AI tools is that they are trained on other people’s art and creative work without permission. In response, Sweeney acknowledged that some AI models have been trained using unethical methods, but argued that developers are under pressure to find more efficient ways to make games, referring to AI tools as one of those solutions. He also said, “Only a fraction of [asset development] time is the artist really injecting the creativity,” suggesting that much of the remaining work could be optimized with artificial intelligence.
Epic Games Already Facing Backlash Because of Generative AI
Before this interview, Epic Games officially showcased how it uses generative AI to create in-game assets in a YouTube video. One notable detail was that the artist demonstrated using tools like Nano Banana to “refine” renders of their original artwork, although the AI noticeably altered several aspects of the final output on its own. Tools like Nano Banana have also faced accusations of being trained on copyrighted material, which appears to conflict with Sweeney’s criticism of AI models that rely on unethical training methods.
Despite Sweeney describing generative AI tools, including those used with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, as “productivity tools,” there is still an undeniably negative stigma surrounding AI in video games. When Steam introduced its AI disclosure requirements, the response from many consumers was largely positive. Many argue that players have the right to know whether the games they are buying use generative AI and to what extent. Based on Sweeney’s recent comments, however, it seems unlikely that the Epic Games Store will adopt a similar policy and require developers to disclose AI usage in their games.
