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Steam Week in Review: Take cover, because it looks like more than half of Steam games will have an AI-disclosure by 2027-2028
Steam's release velocity shifted dramatically after June 2017's Steam Direct policy removed Valve's manual game curation. Monthly releases climbed steadily from roughly 650 in 2017 to approximately 1500 by early 2025. This growth intensified sharply: Steam shipped 21,382 games in 2025 alone, and by mid-2026 had already published 13,359 new titles—suggesting a release rate approaching 27,000 annually.
The article attributes this explosive growth to developers preemptively publishing before AI-disclosure requirements are implemented around 2027-2028. The timing suggests a strategic race to establish back-catalogue presence ahead of regulatory compliance obligations, reflecting both Steam's permissive submission model and widespread developer concern about forthcoming AI transparency rules.
In short
- Steam game releases surged to 1500+ monthly starting February 2025, nearly tripling the pre-2017 baseline and representing a dramatic acceleration since Steam Direct removed curation barriers
- The spike coincides with anticipated AI-disclosure requirements expected to take effect by 2027-2028, suggesting developers are rushing to publish before new compliance obligations apply
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Developers face genuine economic incentives to publish before AI-disclosure rules take effect, as such regulations could impose compliance costs, require modifications to existing titles, or undermine commercial appeal. The sharp acceleration in releases coinciding with mounting regulatory discussion about AI transparency suggests rational strategic behaviour: developers establishing catalogue presence whilst remaining unconstrained by forthcoming transparency obligations that would complicate or disadvantage their existing products.
The case against
The dramatic release acceleration most likely reflects structural industry changes—improved development tools, lower publishing barriers, and a maturing indie market—rather than speculation about future regulations that remain undefined and uncertain. The causal link lacks direct evidence; many released games contain no AI whatsoever, rendering AI-disclosure requirements immaterial to them, and attributing such a massive increase to regulatory prediction rather than documented commercial or technical drivers relies on narrative convenience rather than established fact.
Explained simply
Steam is the world's largest digital marketplace for PC video games, where independent developers and major studios release titles. In 2017, Valve, the company behind Steam, removed manual review requirements for new games, making it considerably easier for developers to publish on the platform.
This change led to a dramatic increase in releases. Steam saw roughly 650 new games per month in 2017, but this grew steadily to around 1,500 by early 2025, then accelerated sharply to over 21,000 games in 2025 alone. By mid-2026, the platform was publishing at a pace suggesting some 27,000 releases annually.
The recent surge appears connected to upcoming regulation around artificial intelligence. Disclosure requirements for AI in games are expected around 2027 to 2028, with developers likely required to clearly label whether their games use AI. Many developers appear to be publishing now to establish a catalogue of titles before these transparency rules take effect.