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Valve on AI Clones: Community and Updates Should Protect Indie Games
Software2 min read
Valve says indie game makers can protect themselves from AI-made clones by building a loyal community and releasing regular updates. The advice came at a developer event for Korean studios.
Valve's advice to indie developers
Tom Giardino from Valve's Steam business team spoke at the Steam Indie Connect event on Tuesday. He told developers to build a strong fan community and keep updating their games. At the event, a developer said some indie studios had received blackmail emails. The emails demanded payment or else an AI copy of the game would be released before the original. Giardino said he was hearing about such cases for the first time. Valve also said it does not want to act as a gatekeeper. It will not tell studios which tools they may use, including AI. Valve says it will look into reported cases, but it sees the blackmail as a job for police, not for a game platform.
Key facts
- A Korean two-person studio, YNOT, pulled its cooking game demo "Spookitchen" shortly before the Next Fest after learning about an AI clone.
- The developers of the tactics role-playing game "Dragon's Chronicles: Twin Stars of Reginleiv" reportedly got a blackmail email asking for 200 US dollars.
- During the first two days of Next Fest, Steam shows game demos almost at random. Personalized recommendations only start after that.
- Since early 2024, developers on Steam must say whether and how they use AI.
Why clones and low-quality AI games are a problem
A game clone copies another game's idea and releases a similar version, sometimes first. AI tools make this faster and cheaper. Many players also complained about a flood of low-quality AI games, often called AI slop, at the October Next Fest. Valve's rule since 2024 asks developers to label AI use. Valve separates content made before release, such as AI art or AI voices, from content created live during play. Valve has said most games that use AI are still approved.
Why it matters
Small studios can lose sales and attention if a copy appears first. Valve's answer is that a loyal fan base and steady improvements are harder to copy than one game mechanic. Giardino compared this to Valve's approach to piracy. Instead of harsh copy protection, Valve has tried to make the real product the best version. The answer does not fully solve the problem, and Giardino admitted that trust takes time.
What to watch
- Whether Valve acts on the reported blackmail cases.
- How Steam changes its demo rules for future Next Fest events.
- Whether AI labels on Steam shop pages become clearer for players.
- Whether more Korean and other indie studios report clones.
Glossary
- Steam
- Valve's online store where players buy and download PC games.
- Valve
- The company that runs the Steam game store and makes games.
- Next Fest
- A Steam event where players can try many game demos for a few days.
- Indie
- Short for independent: games made by small studios, often without a big publisher.
- AI slop
- A slang term for low-quality content made quickly with AI.