Steam Next Fest 2026, running from February 23 to March 2, offers 3,455 free demos. The quantity is impressive, but dissatisfaction is growing among players and developers: generative AI has filled the platform with projects created quickly, cheaply, and without artistic value.
On Reddit and forums, gamers complain that it is difficult to find worthwhile games among the many projects with AI-generated graphics and generic mechanics. Users are asking Valve to add a tag or filter that hides games with AI content.
John "Bucky" Buckley, head of the publishing department at Pocketpair (creators of Palworld), stated that AI-generated graphics on the cover are a signal not to launch the game.
Valve requires disclosure of AI usage in games, but there is no separate tag or filter, and the company has not yet commented on the situation. Community pressure is growing with each new exhibition.
