If you are a fan of games on the Steam platform, you are undoubtedly interested in how artificial intelligence is changing the world of game development. Valve, the company behind this massive digital distribution service, has significantly revised its rules regarding how developers must disclose the use of generative AI in their games. This change comes at a time when AI is becoming a common part of game development, and Valve wants to ensure that players know what in their games has actually been created by machines.
Why did Valve change the rules?
It all began when Valve began requiring developers in 2024 to disclose on Steam whether generative AI had been used in their games. This information then appears on the game's page in a section called 'AI Generated Content Disclosure'. According to an analysis from July 2025, nearly 8,000 games released on Steam during the first six months of that year disclosed the use of generative AI—a huge increase compared with roughly 1,000 games throughout all of 2024. However, these disclosures are voluntary, so the actual number of games using AI is probably even higher.
Valve has now rewritten these rules to clarify exactly what developers need to report. As GameDiscoverCo consultant Simon Carless pointed out, the new version of the form emphasizes that it focuses on content directly consumed by players, not tools that help developers work faster. Valve acknowledges that many modern game development environments, such as Unreal Engine, have built-in AI tools, and these "efficiency gains" are not the main focus.
What types of AI must developers disclose?
The new rules divide AI use into two main categories that developers must describe. The first is "AI used to generate content for the game"—this includes anything that appears in the game itself, on its store page, or in marketing materials. For example, if AI creates images, sounds, text, or other elements that players see or hear, this must be clearly disclosed.
The second category concerns "AI-generated content during gameplay." This covers whether the game produces AI-created elements during gameplay itself, such as images, audio, text, or other materials. Valve wants players to know whether they will encounter such content directly in the game.
Importantly, Valve now explicitly states that "efficiency" tools—such as using AI for concept art, writing code, or other aids that do not end up in the final game—do not need to be disclosed. For example, if a developer uses AI to quickly generate concept ideas that are then manually revised, this does not need to be reported. This is also confirmed by real-world examples, such as when developers at Larian Studios mentioned that they had used AI for "concept art exploration" in their games.
What do surveys and statistics say?
According to last year's Game Developers Conference survey, 52% of developers work at companies that use generative AI tools. However, interest in these tools is declining—only 9% of developers said their companies were interested in AI, down from 15% the previous year. Conversely, 27% said their companies had no interest in AI at all, an increase of 9 percentage points compared with 2024.
These figures underscore that AI is a reality in the gaming industry, but not everyone welcomes it with open arms. With these changes, Valve is responding by making the rules more practical for developers who face pressure to use AI to work faster, while also protecting players from unexpected machine-generated content.
Examples from the gaming world
Although the new rules make life easier for developers, questions still remain. For example, games such as The Alters and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 were released in 2025 with AI-generated elements that reportedly remained in the final versions by mistake. The developers at 11 bit studios confirmed that they had used AI "to a very limited extent" in The Alters, and the same reportedly applies to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
This situation suggests that even though Valve distinguishes between efficiency tools and final content, AI elements may unintentionally "slip through" into a game. The rules allow developers to describe their use of AI in general terms, which can lead to ambiguity—players may not know exactly which parts of a game were created by machines.
With this move, Valve is showing that it takes AI seriously but does not want to hinder innovation. For developers, this means less bureaucracy when using AI for internal processes, while players will gain a better overview of what in their games is actually artificial. If you are a developer, you now know that you only need to focus on what players see and hear. And for players? You will now have more information to help you decide whether you want to buy a game containing AI elements. It is an interesting development in the gaming world, and one that is certain to continue!
Source: pcgamer.com
