Steam now requires game developers to disclose their use of generative AI when submitting titles to Valve's storefront, a policy Epic Games CEO has publicly attacked as "really irresponsible" toward development studios.

The criticism, reported by Video Games Chronicle, escalates a public disagreement between the two largest PC game distributors over how generative AI should be handled at the submission stage. Valve's requirement forces every studio shipping through Steam to declare where AI tools contributed to shipped content.

The Epic Games CEO's framing reframes disclosure from a transparency mechanism into a friction point. Studios already working under tight margins and frequent patch cycles face an added compliance layer at submission, and Epic's leadership argues the mandate discourages experimentation with emerging tools before the broader industry settles on disclosure norms.

What is Steam actually requiring?

Valve's updated submission flow asks developers to declare AI-generated content as part of the standard store listing process. The disclosure step applies at submission and aims to inform players about AI involvement in shipped assets.

The Epic Games CEO's objection lands on that very step. By labeling the policy irresponsible, Epic argues Steam treats AI as a special category requiring explicit labeling rather than as another tool in the developer's production pipeline. That distinction — content category versus tool category — sits at the heart of the dispute.

How does this affect developers?

For studios publishing on Steam, the disclosure step introduces a new gate at submission. Independent teams and larger publishers alike must now document AI contributions before a title can list on the storefront. Mid-production tools that incorporate generative models — texture generation, dialogue iteration, code assistance — all require affirmative declaration.

The CEO's objection centers on exactly that documentation burden. Smaller studios without dedicated compliance resources absorb the cost most directly, and any studio shipping live-service content now has to track how AI contributes across post-launch updates as well as the initial release.

Where the storefronts now stand

Epic Games Store has not announced a comparable AI disclosure rule. That absence gives developers a routing choice between the two largest PC storefronts and positions Epic as a critic rather than a follower on the disclosure question.

Valve's market position gives its submission rules disproportionate influence on industry-wide practice. A Steam-mandated disclosure effectively becomes a de facto baseline for any studio aiming at the broadest PC audience, even without a formal industry agreement or regulatory mandate.

The Epic Games CEO's intervention signals that storefront competition may now produce divergent AI policies rather than a unified industry response. The two companies have not announced any coordination on the disclosure question, and neither has signaled when — or whether — they intend to align.

Watch for Steam's enforcement of the AI declaration to begin across active submission cycles, and for Epic Games Store to publish a contrasting AI policy that developers can weigh against Valve's mandate in coming quarters.