Artificial intelligence (AI) coding agents are disrupting the gaming market and the broader software industry. AI-generated games are flooding major gaming platforms, and there has been a surge in the illegal distribution of games ported to run on PCs from consoles like PlayStation 5.
According to IT industry sources, Sulka Haro, a data analyst for Steam, conducted a comprehensive survey of 53,597 games released on Steam from mid-2023 to mid-2024. The proportion of games labeled as using AI has increased from 10.9% in 2024 and 19.9% last year to 30.8% this year.
The monthly release of AI-labeled games has surged from around 13 to approximately 530, accounting for 60% to 90% of Steam's monthly release growth. By mid-July, 13,359 new games had been released on Steam this year.
During the ongoing Steam Next Fest, which runs from October 19 to 26, AI-utilizing games are prominently featured. According to SteamDB, out of 7,145 showcased games, 2,595 carry the AI label. Users are increasingly calling for filters to sift through the low-quality AI games being rapidly produced, but Steam currently lacks an AI filter or dedicated tagging system, and Valve has not disclosed plans to implement one.
Both consumers and developers are expressing concerns about AI-utilizing games. A survey by Quantic Foundry of 1,799 gamers found that 85% had negative views on generative AI in games, with 63% selecting the most negative option. Negative responses regarding AI-generated quests rose from 46% in mid-2024 to 77%.
In a separate survey by GameDiscoverCo of 3,800 Steam users, 8.1% stated they would never purchase AI content games, while 23.3% found them unpleasant. A GDC survey of 2,300 respondents this year indicated that 52% believe generative AI has a negative impact on the gaming industry, a significant increase from 18% in 2024 and 30% last year. Additionally, 36% of industry workers reported using generative AI in their jobs.
Despite user resistance, the development of AI-utilizing games is accelerating. Microsoft announced on October 13 the establishment of a dedicated team called Xbox Labs to research technology that analyzes existing games for execution on different devices and AI-based development.
There have also been increasing instances of console exclusives being ported to other devices. Titles like Halo, Bloodborne, and Fable II are among those affected, and on October 6, a version of GTA V was demonstrated running in a web browser without separate installation. On October 19, an unofficial project called CoD3Recomp emerged, allowing the Xbox 360 exclusive Call of Duty 3 to run on PC.
Major gaming companies such as Take-Two Interactive, Bethesda, Activision, and Nintendo are responding with copyright infringement cease-and-desist requests and video takedowns.
The threat posed by AI extends beyond the gaming industry. ArtCraft, led by American developer Brandon Thomas, released seven free open-source programs earlier this month, created using Anthropic's Claude 5.5 and the Rust programming language.
These programs correspond to Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom, Acrobat, After Effects, and InDesign, and are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, currently in alpha stage and released under MIT and Apache licenses. CEO Thomas stated, "We can complete the programs 99% within a few months, not years." On October 7, they also released WordCraft, GridCraft, and DeckCraft, which correspond to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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