Another day, another suit trying to make AI happen. This time, we have Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney speaking out yet again about Steam being the root of all evil in the world. There’s been enough evidence of how gamers and the audience react to AI being used in games, and the quick answer is poorly.
Valve has implemented mandatory disclaimers for AI usage since 2024, which is something Epic Games finds ‘unfair’, as on their store, they have no such rules or measures. The timing of this complaint is convenient enough, as Epic just finished unveiling Unreal Engine 6 in a presentation that focused heavily on its AI integration features.
Valve’s Policy is Good for Gamers, Bad for Epic
The latest update to the AI policy came in January 2026, which includes further notes on how to disclose AI, specifically in two cases: either having used AI to generate content for the game (or AI content degenerating during gameplay), or some “AI-powered tools.”
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In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Tim Sweeney gave his thoughts on the latest update and how he finds it unfair. In Sweeney’s head, the disclosure puts a target on any developer who talks transparently about using AI to generate content, leading to them being vilified by players. “It’s unfortunate we’re in this situation. It’s unfortunate that so many developers now are put into this position,” according to Sweeney.
Considering that many people want to actually know if AI is being used in their games, then it’s only fair to offer clarity. At the end of the day, the players are the customers, and they’re the ones buying the games, not the execs and shareholders.
Sweeney continues by saying he thinks “it’s really irresponsible of Valve. They shouldn’t do it, because it makes it much, much, much harder for a game developer to have a chance of success. You have to choose from either not using tools that can make you way more productive, and probably failing due to competition that does.”
This reaction is a shaping manoeuvre by Tim Sweeny against expected future backlash as Unreal Engine 6 integrates further with AI models like Claude and Gemini. Sweeney also spoke last year about how he doesn’t understand how digital game stores are flagging games for AI content, stating that, in his opinion, all games will have different additions of AI. For now, the market is unforgiving to AI inclusion, and maybe the customer is actually right.
