Overview
- Pocketpair’s publishing head John Buckley has publicly reiterated that the developer behind Palworld does not use generative AI in its games and that player opposition is a key reason for that choice.
- Valve’s Steam now requires developers to disclose any generative AI use on store pages, a policy that has exposed AI use across the platform and drawn public pushback from figures such as Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney.
- Event reactions have intensified scrutiny of AI after several titles explained their AI use following fan concern at recent showcases, and Steam Next Fest data shows roughly 1,700 of about 8,600 demos reported some AI involvement.
- Buckley predicts an emerging 'authenticity' market where studios may advertise human-made work to win players, and he says many in-house artists prefer to create assets rather than hand that work to AI tools.
- Industry observers expect regional differences in adoption, with some Asian studios more willing to experiment with generative AI, a split that could reshape marketing, hiring and platform policy over the next few years.