Artificial intelligence continues to reshape game development, but a new survey suggests that Steam players remain divided over how the technology should be used. According to a new report from GameDiscoverCo, many players are comfortable with AI assisting developers behind the scenes, yet a significant portion remain wary of AI-generated art, dialogue, and other creative assets.
The findings come from GameDiscoverCo’s latest Steam Fan Snapshot, which surveyed nearly 4,000 core Steam users between June 25 and July 2, 2026. While the respondents represent highly engaged PC players rather than the entire Steam audience, the results provide insight into how dedicated gamers currently view AI in modern game development.
Steam players are open to some AI uses—but not all
One of the survey’s biggest findings is that opinions remain mixed regarding games that disclose AI usage on their Steam store pages.
Around 43% of respondents said they have no major issue purchasing games that include AI disclosures, while 26% remained neutral. However, approximately 31% viewed AI use negatively, with 8% saying they would refuse to buy games featuring disclosed AI content. The findings indicate that AI remains a purchasing consideration for a sizeable segment of Steam’s audience.
The survey also found that players are actively reading Steam’s AI disclosure notices. About 44% said they read the disclosures carefully, while 45% said they at least glance through them before making purchasing decisions.
Beyond AI itself, players also expressed doubts about whether developers are fully transparent.
Only 17% of respondents believed developers completely disclose all AI-generated audiovisual content used in their games. Most participants felt only some studios accurately report AI usage, highlighting an ongoing trust issue between developers and consumers.
Interestingly, players were far more accepting of AI tools used during development than AI-created game assets. When asked about coding assistants such as Claude Code, 56% believed developers should disclose their use, although responses to open-ended questions showed many players were comfortable with AI helping programmers, creating prototypes, or handling repetitive tasks.
The most common opinion was conditional acceptance. Many respondents said AI is acceptable when it improves productivity but should not replace human creativity, particularly in areas such as artwork, writing, voice acting, or game design.
Steam’s player base continues to grow
The report also included updated estimates for Steam’s monthly active users. By combining Valve’s European Union Digital Services Act disclosures with regional Steam traffic data, GameDiscoverCo estimated that Steam reached approximately 198 million monthly active users during the second half of 2025, with the figure likely exceeding 200 million today.
Although these estimates are not official Valve figures, they highlight Steam’s continued growth while underscoring why developers are paying close attention to player sentiment around emerging technologies such as AI.
