Sweeney Doubles Down on Valve, Calls Steam's AI Disclosure a 'Political Act'

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney spent the weekend pressing his criticism of Valve, and he targeted Steam's rules on disclosing AI-generated content in particular. Sweeney described the disclosure policy as a "political act," a sharper framing than a simple objection to the rule itself.

Valve introduced the AI disclosure requirement for Steam in early 2024. Developers must tell the store when their games use generative AI for content such as art, text, or code, and that information appears on the game's store page for players. Valve has said the goal is transparency for buyers, and it has largely stayed out of public debates over the policy.

Sweeney's remarks add to a longer run of public disagreement with Valve. Epic has argued for years that Steam's revenue share and platform rules limit competition in PC game distribution, and it has used its own store, which takes a smaller cut, to make that case. His latest comments show the feud reaching into content policy as well as business terms.

Valve has not publicly answered Sweeney's latest remarks in the coverage available so far. Whether the criticism shifts the company's approach to AI disclosure remains to be seen.