Valve has acknowledged the growing problem of low-quality AI-generated games on Steam, while independent developers are also facing threatening messages that demand money to prevent alleged AI-made clones from appearing alongside their original releases.
At Steam Indie Connect in Korea on October 27, Valve representatives Tom Giardino and Marc Wilkinson discussed the platform’s current challenges. Their central message was that launching a game should be treated as the beginning of its life, not the finish line. They argued that ongoing updates, new features and additional content could help original games stay ahead of imitators. Inven Global’s coverage provides further detail on the discussion.
Giardino said he was not aware of the reported extortion attempts, in which developers were allegedly told to pay a ransom or face AI clones being released at the same time as their games. He suggested that threats of this kind should be handled by law-enforcement agencies rather than by a digital storefront.
He also argued that artificial intelligence is not the only reason game cloning exists. Similar copycat products appeared before generative AI became widespread, although the current technology has increased the scale and speed of the issue. Valve does not want to act as a gatekeeper by deciding which development tools creators may use, Giardino said, instead encouraging developers to build communities and pursue continuous improvement.
Those ideas can help some studios, but they do not address the financial reality facing many independent developers. A small team may spend months or years working with little or no income, expecting launch sales to recover its costs. Continuing to expand a game after release requires time and money—resources that can become even harder to secure when clones divert sales.
Giardino also advised developers not to rely solely on a single mechanic that can be copied easily. He recommended adding features, personality and creative details drawn from the team’s own perspective. That approach may strengthen a game’s identity, but it assumes developers can keep funding development and overlooks carefully designed indie titles whose appeal deliberately rests on one distinctive mechanic.
Steam Next Fest exposes the scale of the problem
Discussion also turned to the recent Steam Next Fest, which featured twice as many demos as the previous event. Wilkinson explained that Steam initially presents demos randomly to users during the first two days of the week-long festival. From the third day onward, recommendations become more closely matched to each player’s preferences.
That system was used to explain why early reports described the festival as being overwhelmed by low-quality AI games. Wilkinson noted that many of those reports were written after the opening two days, before personalised recommendations began filtering the selection. He nevertheless said Valve was aware of the situation and that a significant number of people were working on possible solutions.
For developers and players, the response remains unsatisfying. Asking small studios to keep developing indefinitely is not a practical answer when AI-assisted imitators can appear before the original game has even launched. The platform also carries responsibility for improving discovery, identifying deceptive clones and protecting the developers whose work gives Steam its value.
The issue is relevant beyond PC storefronts. Anyone researching an arcade machine buying guide or browsing modern arcade machines is making a similar distinction between a meaningful, supported product and a disposable imitation. For enthusiasts building their own setup, DIY arcade kits and reliable arcade parts also show why quality, support and originality matter long after the initial purchase.
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