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Valve representatives acknowledged concerns about AI-assisted game cloning and the volume of low-quality demos on Steam Next Fest. They said Valve does not want to dictate which tools developers use, and described better, more dynamic discovery as its starting point; no major new safeguards were announced.
Valve representatives Tom Giardino and Marc Wilkinson acknowledged concerns that AI tools are accelerating game cloning and adding to the flood of low-quality demos on Steam, but said Valve does not want to restrict which tools developers use. Speaking at Steam Indie Connect in Busan, South Korea, they described improving Steam’s discovery systems as the company’s starting point, without announcing a new rule or safeguard.
Giardino said games were being copied before generative AI, although the process was slower. He argued that developers can make their work harder to copy by building a community and continuing to develop features and a distinct creative identity, rather than relying on a single mechanic. His comments address the risk of imitation, but do not amount to a platform policy change or guarantee that a game can be protected from cloning.
Wilkinson described how Steam Next Fest discovery works: during the event’s first two days, users are shown games in a largely randomized way, after which recommendations become personalized. He said the initial exposure is intended to give developers a fair chance to be seen, while acknowledging that the approach can also surface low-quality games. Valve did not provide figures on how many demos are affected.
PC Gamer’s report, citing SteamDB data, said nearly 23,000 games had been released on Steam in 2026 at the time of publication, before November. That count is a raw release total; the source material does not provide a comparison baseline for measuring its rate of change. The volume adds pressure to discovery systems and can make it harder for smaller releases to reach players.
How Steam Discovery Shapes Visibility
The issue affects both developers trying to protect unreleased work and players sorting through an expanding catalogue. Smaller studios may have fewer ways to stand out when numerous games and demos compete for attention, while fears of copying can discourage developers from sharing early builds or participating in showcases.
Valve’s stated preference matters because Steam is a major distribution and discovery platform, yet its comments point toward ranking and recommendation changes rather than stricter controls on AI use. That leaves open whether platform-side discovery improvements can reduce the exposure of copied or low-effort releases without limiting legitimate experimentation. The source report does not establish that AI-generated games are inherently low quality; the concern is the volume of releases and the risks of cloning.
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Next Fest’s Early Random Exposure
Steam Next Fest is a showcase for upcoming games, including demos. Wilkinson said Steam initially gives games broad exposure through randomized displays, then shifts to personalized recommendations based on user preferences. Valve’s explanation frames the first phase as a fairness measure, while acknowledging a trade-off: users may also see games they consider low quality.
The cloning concern is not limited to AI. Giardino said copying existed before these tools, and the report cited developer Israel Mallén of Digital Suns Games, whose studio cancelled a planned Moonlighter demo over concerns it could be cloned. Mallén suggested storefronts could offer more ways to vet access to pre-release builds, such as considering account age, playtime or review history. These are his suggestions, not measures Valve said it would adopt.
“We don’t want to be gatekeepers telling developers which tools they should or shouldn’t use.”
— Tom Giardino, Valve
No New Safeguards Announced
Valve did not announce a timeline, specific changes to Steam Next Fest, or new controls for access to pre-release builds. It is also unclear what discovery adjustments the company is considering, how it would identify cloned games, or whether it will respond to developers’ requests for account-based vetting.
The report describes at least one alleged extortion threat in which a developer was told their game could be cloned with AI if they did not pay. The allegation is not independently detailed in the supplied material, and the source does not identify the person responsible or report an outcome. The reported Steam release total also does not separate AI-made games from other releases.
Valve’s Discovery Plans Remain Open
Valve representatives said people at the company are considering ways to address the problem and that there is room to improve Steam. They did not identify a next announcement or scheduled policy review. For now, Valve’s described approach remains the existing combination of early randomized exposure and later personalized recommendations.
Developers and players will be watching for whether Valve turns its stated focus on a smarter, more dynamic platform into concrete discovery changes, and whether it responds to requests for stronger protections around demos and pre-release builds. Until Valve provides details, the scope and timing of any changes remain unknown.
Key Questions
What did Valve say about AI game cloning?
Valve representatives acknowledged concerns about cloning and said they do not want to dictate which tools developers use. They did not announce a new anti-cloning policy.
How does Steam Next Fest show games to users?
According to Marc Wilkinson, the first two days use largely randomized exposure; afterward, Steam shifts to personalized recommendations. Valve acknowledged that the early approach can also show users low-quality games.
Did Valve promise new protections for demos?
No. The representatives discussed room for improvement and a preference for making Steam more dynamic, but did not announce specific safeguards or a schedule.
What is the reported concern about pre-release builds?
Digital Suns Games’ Israel Mallén said his studio cancelled a planned Moonlighter demo because of cloning concerns. He proposed that storefronts could offer tools to vet who gets access to pre-release builds; Valve did not say it would adopt that proposal.
Source: pcgamer.com
