‘Little Tim is so obsessed with Gabe’: Former Valve writer baffled by Epic CEO Tim Sweeney’s attempts to compete with Steam via vibe coding
Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek has criticised Epic Games chief executive Tim Sweeney’s approach to competing with Steam, joking that Sweeney is “so obsessed with Gabe” Newell, Valve’s co-founder. The comments followed Sweeney sharing an AI-generated prototype of a possible Epic Games Store feature, prompting debate about whether “vibe coding” can help the storefront catch up.
Faliszek argued that the effort reflects a focus on copying Steam rather than addressing what players want from a games platform. The article frames the exchange as part of a long-running rivalry between Epic and Valve, but the supplied text does not give further detail on the proposed feature or responses from either company.
- Chet Faliszek mocked Tim Sweeney’s focus on competing with Steam.
- Sweeney shared an AI-generated prototype for an Epic Games Store feature.
- The exchange revived debate about Epic’s rivalry with Valve.
New here? Start with this
Epic Games and Valve run two major online shops for PC games: the Epic Games Store and Steam. Players use these platforms to buy and download games, and developers can sell their games through them.
Tim Sweeney leads Epic Games, while Gabe Newell co-founded Valve. Chet Faliszek is a former Valve writer. The rivalry between the companies matters because their storefronts compete for players and game releases, and their choices can shape how people find and buy PC games.
“Vibe coding” is a term for using AI tools to help create software, often by describing what you want in everyday language. An AI-made prototype can show an idea, but it does not by itself establish how a finished feature would work or whether players would find it useful.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Prototyping a store feature with AI can be a quick, low-cost way to explore ideas and show users what might be useful before investing in a full build. If Epic is responding to familiar Steam features, that could reflect real player expectations and help make its store more competitive.
The case against
A prototype alone does not show that a feature addresses players’ needs or will work well in practice. Critics can reasonably argue that Epic should focus on the distinct problems users want solved, rather than treating Steam as the template for improving its storefront.