Valve says it’s ‘aware’ of Steam Next Fest’s prevalence of AI slop and ‘thinking about how to solve this problem’
Valve is addressing player concerns regarding the influx of low-quality AI-generated games on its Steam platform during the Steam Next Fest. The company is exploring ways to improve visibility and quality control while maintaining its stance against acting as a gatekeeper for developer tools.
Why it matters
As AI tools lower the barrier to game development, major platforms face the challenge of balancing open access with the need to filter out low-effort 'slop' that degrades user experience.
Gaming Valve says it’s ‘aware’ of Steam Next Fest’s prevalence of AI slop and ‘thinking about how to solve this problem’ Destructoid Follow Scott Duwe Wed, October 28, 2026 at 2:44 PM UTC Add to Preferred Sources Wed, October 28, 2026 at 2:44 PM UTC Image via Valve Last week, gamers were quick to call foul on a number of games popping up on the latest iteration of Steam Next Fest for appearing to be "AI slop," and the company behind the PC platform has responded.
Marc Wilkinson, business development at Valve, appeared yesterday at an event in Korea called Steam Indie Connect, and was asked about the hubbub and if the company had plans on how to improve Next Fest the next time it came around.
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