Epic's Sweeney criticizes Steam's mandatory AI disclosure policy as political act

Tim Sweeney, Epic Games CEO, renewed his attack on Steam's mandatory AI disclosure policy. He called the requirement "abhorrent" and "a political act" against developers. "The primary use of both categories of disclosures is to drive cancel campaigns against games and deprive them of revenue and livelihood." - Tim Sweeney, CEO, Epic Games Epic Games Store carries no equivalent AI disclosure requirement for developers.

Valve requires Steam developers to disclose AI use and name the tools applied.
A developer's viral AI disclosure statement spawned browser extensions that flag AI made games.
Sweeney first called the policy "irresponsible" in June, saying it blocks productivity tool adoption.

Epic Games Store imposes no AI disclosure requirement, unlike Steam's labeling mandate.
Epic says it has been "extremely open" about its own AI use, without labeling games.
Fortnite, Epic's flagship title, already uses generative AI for a wide range of assets.
Epic built its revamped storefront as "fully vibe-coded," underscoring its hands-off compliance posture.

Studios shipping on both storefronts face Steam's disclosure exposure but not Epic's.
Valve's label can expose AI use to harassment campaigns before launch.
Epic's silence on disclosure removes that specific risk for developers choosing its storefront.

For Publishers & Developers: Finalize Steam AI disclosure wording with community and PR leads before store pages go public.
For Investors & VC: Add Steam disclosure backlash risk to diligence on AI-heavy, Steam-dependent studios.
For Service Vendors: Pitch human-made art replacement packages to Steam-bound studios trimming disclosable AI assets pre-launch.