Artificial intelligence is increasingly present in video game development, but new research suggests that players are still not ready to accept its use without hesitation. According to an analysis conducted by Game Oracle, games that publicly state the use of artificial intelligence on Steam may experience significantly weaker commercial performance compared to similar titles that do not have such a label.
The research covered 9,879 commercial games released on Steam between January and October 2025, excluding free titles and games that did not have enough data after release at the time of the study. About 17.9 percent of the analyzed games reported the use of artificial intelligence.
Since Steam does not publish actual sales figures, researchers used the number of user reviews in the first month after release as an approximate indicator of sales. The results showed that games with reported use of artificial intelligence, under similar conditions, had about 52.6 percent fewer reviews than games that did not use AI. In other words, a game that could gather 100 reviews without the AI label would, on average, end up closer to a figure of 47 reviews with that label.
It is particularly interesting that the negative effect is most pronounced among more experienced developers and projects with greater potential. According to the research, for smaller and inexperienced teams, artificial intelligence may not change much, as such projects would struggle to reach an audience anyway. However, for studios with better marketing, more experience, and a higher chance of success, the AI label can become a serious burden.
This does not mean that every use of artificial intelligence automatically destroys a game or its sales. The problem lies more in perception. Some players still associate AI with cheaper content, a lack of human labor, generic art, or an attempt to cut costs. If artificial intelligence is used meaningfully, for example, as part of the mechanics or as a tool that does not compromise the quality of the game, the audience's reaction can be completely different.
The conclusion of the research is therefore not that artificial intelligence should be completely eliminated from game development, but that developers must think very carefully about how they use it and how they communicate about it with the audience. In the current climate, the AI label on Steam is clearly a sufficient reason for caution for some players.
