Steam Next Fest Surrenders to Artificial Intelligence
Valve’s annual Steam Next Fest showcased developers’ use of AI, rather than games themselves. Nearly one-fifth of the games at the event reportedly utilized AI through Steam’s new “AI Generated Content Disclosure” system. A total of 504 games demonstrated that the industry’s transformation, utilizing AI in various ways, has officially begun.
AI Is Now an Integral Part of the Game Development Process
The report, which examined a total of 2,960 games, revealed that 507 titles initially carried the AI content label, but after some errors were eliminated, the final count was reduced to 504. This means that 17.03 percent of the games showcased at Steam Next Fest utilize AI technologies in some way. This figure means that one in five games in the indie game world is now developed with AI.
Among the areas where AI is most heavily used are promotional images and marketing materials, in-game art assets, music and sound effects, translation, coding, script writing, and creative ideation. Some games even stated that they use AI just to translate the descriptions on their Steam pages.
One of the report’s most notable points was the success of Cloudheim, one of the most popular AI-powered games. Developed by Noodle Cat Games, this game ranked among the 50 most popular demos at the event and reached 667 concurrent players. The studio explained that it uses a special bot called “InfoSage” to organize internal team documentation searches, bug reports, and development notes.
The development team also stated:
“No employees have been replaced by AI. The artists, engineers, voice actors, and translation team are still with us. We use AI solely for discovery and efficiency.”
This approach demonstrates that indie developers view AI not as a tool to replace human labor, but as a tool that accelerates the process.
Steam Next Fest 2025 marks a new turning point in the gaming industry. AI is no longer just an experiment for AAA studios; it’s becoming the new standard, boosting the productivity of indie developers. However, how this transformation is received by gamers in the long term, and within what limits, will determine the future of the industry.
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