"Stigma of Shame" - Epic Games Executive Criticizes Steam for Labeling Games with AI Content
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney gave a comprehensive interview to PC Gamer. During the conversation, he shared his opinion on Steam's requirement to label games created using artificial intelligence.
Tim Sweeney at State of Unreal 2026
Sweeney called the decision to introduce such a label "completely irresponsible." He is convinced that by doing this, Steam seriously harmed developers—games have become targets for AI opponents, and many studios have been forced to abandon the opportunity to accelerate their projects.
"It's very unfortunate that so many developers are now in this situation. If you want to release a game and achieve maximum exposure, you have to list it on Steam so people can add it to their wishlist. There, you'll be forced to receive a 'mark of shame'* because of AI, after which a community of haters will try to destroy the game," stated the Epic Games head.
As Sweeney pointed out, generative AI helps create unique assets and overall increases developer productivity by eliminating routine tasks. Thanks to this, he stressed, studios can focus on more important aspects—the overall atmosphere of the game, the plot, gameplay mechanics, and much more.
Interestingly, Epic Games recently announced plans to integrate AI-based tools, including Claude and Gemini, into the Unreal Engine 6. According to Sweeney, this will help the industry more rapidly accept the use of AI as a given.
*Sweeney literally says "receive a 'Scarlet Letter'"—this is a reference to Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel in which an 'A' symbol was used as a mark of shame for adultery.