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Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99Subscribe now Essential Hardware Dune: Awakening PC Gaming Show Recommended reading Game Development Larian's Swen Vincke says AI-obsessed studios won't 'have a competitive advantage', because those tools are 'gonna be what's available to everybody' Google Veo 3 users long to immerse themselves in the worlds of their AI-generated videos, seemingly forgetting entire videogame genres already exist 'Spitting in the face of your international audience': The Alters cops to using generative AI for background text and translations, despite not disclosing such on Steam Gabe Newell reckons AI tools will result in a 'funny situation' where people who can't program become 'more effective developers of value' than those who've been at it 'for a decade' Battle Royale 'AI is going to become more and more difficult to detect': Fortnite has no plans to clean up increasing number of AI thumbnails cluttering up user-generated experiences Gaming Industry Foundry VTT creator does what Hasbro won't with D&D, trashes the idea of AI in tabletop roleplaying game industry as a 'betrayal' Author's petition requesting publishers swear off AI recieves over 1,000 signatures in first 24 hours The brainbox behind Valve's Steam Labs says the number of Steam releases featuring GenAI in 2025 is 1 in 5, with 7% of all games on there now incorporating it: 'We’ve octupled last year’s figure' Rich Stanton 18 July 2025 But there's still "a vocal anti-AI sentiment among artists and gamers who simply won’t buy games with this stuff in." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Valve) Ichiro Lambe is a games industry veteran with one hell of a CV: he co-founded Worlds Apart (which became Sony Online Denver), founded Dejobaan Games (probably best-known for the excellently named skydiving game AaaaaAAaaaAAAAaAAAAA!!!), and consulted at Valve for a spell, during which he was one of the key movers behind the creation of Steam Labs. Steam Labs is all about poking at the data and experimenting with how the platform serves developers and players. Even though Lambe is no longer working with Valve, such habits clearly die hard: last year he took a look at how many games on Steam were disclosing use of generative AI, and found around 1000 titles. Now he's circled back to see how things have changed, and the short answer is: there are a hell of a lot more. Lambe found that just under 8,000 games on Steam ("more precisely: 7,818 titles") disclose GenAI usage in their creation. The total number of games on Steam is just under 115,000, so this figure represents 7% of the games on the platform. Related Articles Larian's Swen Vincke says AI-obsessed studios won't 'have a competitive advantage', because those tools are 'gonna be what's available to everybody' Google Veo 3 users long to immerse themselves in the worlds of their AI-generated videos, seemingly forgetting entire videogame genres already exist 'Spitting in the face of your international audience': The Alters cops to using generative AI for background text and translations, despite not disclosing such on Steam "We’ve octupled last year’s figure," notes Lambe. "In fact, a little under 20% of all games released in 2025 have disclosed such use." With one in five games now featuring the technology, GenAI is clearly here to stay. The more interesting question Lambe then poses is what they're using it for. Around 60% of the disclosures related to visual assets of all sorts. Other popular uses are audio generation, such as using text-to-speech tools to voice characters, narrative generation (which can range from minor item descriptions to the entire story arc), and generating marketing materials. Finally, another biggie: "A ton of code generation assistance going on." Among the examples Lambe picks out there are what seem like good use cases for AI, particularly when you bear in mind that these games are coming from indie devs rather than big studios. A game called Comedy Night, for example, uses AI to auto-detect offensive names, descriptions, and uploaded stage backgrounds. But many, many others use GenAI to create the majority of the game: AI Roguelite uses it to "live-generate in-game content such as text, images, and sound effects," while Never Ending Dungeon has it generating "rich, diverse scenarios with maps tailored for both Game Masters and players" with AI NPCs, enemies, traps, and rooms. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. AI Roguelite is an interesting example, Lambe notes, because while many of these games are in early access and in some ways unfinished, this has 432 reviews and an 82% positive rating. The reviews show players enjoy the flexibility, with one lauding how it can tell the "story of a homeless man turned mage taking over the world with questionable weapons/abilities, while in the process waiting in line to use the public restroom, feeding Naruto drug-infused flan, and making a deal with the Burger King (himself) for an unlimited lifetime supply of Whoppers, this game will let you do that. And I think that's beautiful.” The necessary caveat here is that the kind of player who'll try and/or buy something called AI Roguelite is going to be self-selecting, and probably inclined towards being positive about the technology. But I'm not suggesting that these reviews are false positives: Lambe thinks the interesting takeaway is that "consumers feel there are games that do make GenAI-in-gameplay work." (Image credit: Krafton / Adapted from Canvas template by IngridBee) The biggest-selling genAI games, for the most part, use the technology lightly. My Summer Car (estimated sales: 2.5 million units) uses it for "some AI generated paintings found inside the main house." Liar's Bar (estimated sales: 1.3 million units) uses it to voice the characters. The Quinfall (estimated sales: 175k units) uses it for "some in-game interface images" while "all AI running outside the game interface is programmed by [developer] Vawraek Technology." The most high-profile example of genAI use is Krafton's InZOI (estimated sales: 500k units), which allows players to use text input to generate outfit textures, 3D items, and even animations (using video input). Lambe notes that the language of AI disclosures is also being more carefully curated, with developers aware of the potential for user backlash. Thus many of the disclosures outline the GenAI use case, before emphasising that humans remain in charge. "It’s a tightrope walk," says Lambe. "They’re disclosing usage, as per Valve’s rules, but also working hard to reassure customers that a human is still at the helm, ensuring quality and, well, artistic integrity. Will they sway GenAI opponents? I dunno." The deep dive ends with a reminder that the 8k figure for games involving GenAI is based on self-disclosure as per Valve's rules. There are undoubtedly games out there using it that haven't done so and fly under the radar (or get called out), so this number is going to be at the low end of the reality. As for where we go from here, the obvious and probably accurate prediction is that we'll see even more games incorporating GenAI over time. But things may not be so simple. "There are devs who absolutely will not use anything that’s trained on other people’s material, or (even in cases where training materials are licensed) object to GenAI on the basis that it takes the creativity out of things or nukes jobs," concludes Lambe. "To wit, there’s a vocal anti-AI sentiment among artists and gamers who simply won’t buy games with this stuff in." Then a final question: "How many games [using GenAI] on Steam by the end of the year? Taking all bets." Rich Stanton Senior Editor Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike." You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Larian's Swen Vincke says AI-obsessed studios won't 'have a competitive advantage', because those tools are 'gonna be what's available to everybody' Google Veo 3 users long to immerse themselves in the worlds of their AI-generated videos, seemingly forgetting entire videogame genres already exist 'Spitting in the face of your international audience': The Alters cops to using generative AI for background text and translations, despite not disclosing such on Steam Gabe Newell reckons AI tools will result in a 'funny situation' where people who can't program become 'more effective developers of value' than those who've been at it 'for a decade' 'AI is going to become more and more difficult to detect': Fortnite has no plans to clean up increasing number of AI thumbnails cluttering up user-generated experiences Foundry VTT creator does what Hasbro won't with D&D, trashes the idea of AI in tabletop roleplaying game industry as a 'betrayal' Latest in AI Gabe Newell reckons AI tools will result in a 'funny situation' where people who can't program become 'more effective developers of value' than those who've been at it 'for a decade' 'I have been fooled': Reddit user endures the roasting of a lifetime after asking how to download a 487MB book they worked on with ChatGPT for over 2 weeks OpenAI just launched its new ChatGPT Agent that can make as many as 1 complicated cupcake order per hour, but even Sam Altman says you probably shouldn't trust it for 'high-stakes uses' Meta is using its own blend of AI-optimised, low-carbon 'green concrete' in one of its honking great data centers It's not just Nvidia that's looking to cash in on those loosening US/China chip export restrictions, as AMD also seems close to resuming AI GPU shipments Intel's fancy new AI tool measures image quality in games in real time, so upscaling artifacts and visual nasties have nowhere to hide Latest in News Here’s the one Destiny 2 Portal modifier that makes A-grade easy, showering you with new loot in The Edge of Fate I've just crowned these Beyerdynamic headphones as the best audiophile closed-back cans, although it's a shame about the lack of microphone The most anticipated Everdark Sovereigns are coming to Elden Ring Nightreign in just two weeks, and I hope it'll hurt DayZ creator's monster-hunting survival game gets major new DLC offering brutal endgame challenges with lavish loot: 'Survival games should be challenging, after all' I have no idea what I'd use this gorgeous retro futuristic macropad for, but at $99 I'm thinking of slamming the buy button anyway Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games from Steam HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES LATEST GAME REVIEWS Best PCIe 5.0 SSD for gaming in 2025: the only Gen 5 drives I will allow in my PC Best graphics cards in 2025: I've tested pretty much every AMD and Nvidia GPU of the past 20 years and these are today's top cards Best gaming laptop in 2025: I've put the best of this new generation head-to-head and we have a winner Best gaming chair in 2025: I've tested a ton of gaming chairs and these are the seats I'd suggest for any PC gamer Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads Sony WF-C710N review Asus ROG Azoth X review The Drifter review Flexispot OC3/BS3 review Shadow Labyrinth review PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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