Epic CEO: Stop Labeling AI-Generated Games
▼ Summary
– Tim Sweeney argues Steam should not label AI-made games, stating it “makes no sense” as AI will soon be part of all game production.
– He believes AI tags are relevant for art exhibits and licensing marketplaces but not for game stores where AI will be ubiquitous.
– Valve now allows most AI games on Steam but requires developers to disclose AI usage, reversing its previous tentative policy.
– Data shows 7% of Steam games disclosed generative AI use in 2025, up from 1.1% the previous year, with Itch.io also requiring disclosure since 2024.
– Sweeney’s views align with other industry leaders who note AI boosts productivity, though opinions on its impact are often politically divided.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has voiced strong opposition to labeling video games that incorporate artificial intelligence, arguing that such tags will soon become irrelevant as AI integrates into standard development workflows. Responding to a social media user who advocated for storefronts to remove these identifiers, Sweeney called the practice illogical. He believes that before long, artificial intelligence will play a role in creating nearly every new game released.
Sweeney clarified that while AI disclosure tags serve a purpose in specific contexts, their application in digital game stores is misplaced. “The AI tag is relevant to art exhibits for authorship disclosure, and to digital content licensing marketplaces where buyers need to understand the rights situation,” he stated. “It makes no sense for game stores, where AI will be involved in nearly all future production.”
This perspective arrives amid evolving policies from major platforms. Since the start of 2024, Valve has permitted the “vast majority” of titles utilizing AI on its Steam service, though it mandates that developers explain how the technology was implemented. This marked a significant policy reversal for the PC gaming giant, which had previously taken a much more cautious stance.
Recent data illustrates the growing adoption of this technology. A report from Totally Human Media in July 2025 indicated that seven percent of games on Steam now disclose the use of generative AI. This figure represents a substantial increase from the previous year, when only 1.1 percent of titles on the platform reported using the technology. Similarly, the independent marketplace Itch.io began requiring developers to state if generative AI contributed to their games starting in November 2024.
Sweeney’s view that AI is becoming a universal tool in the industry finds support from other executives. The CEO of Nexon recently remarked that people should “assume every game company is using AI.” This comment followed public debate surrounding Embark Studios’ title Arc Raiders, which employed AI for its voice acting.
Weighing in on that specific controversy, the head of Epic Games offered a broader analysis of the productivity debate. Sweeney argued that AI “increases human productivity in some areas by integer multiples.” He observed that opinions on whether this represents a net positive for society, and how it should be compensated, remain highly speculative and often divide along political lines.
(Source: Games Industry)
