Steam Next Fest 2026 Has More Than Twice as Many Demos as Last Year, Raising Concerns About AI-Generated Games

Steam Next Fest 2026 starts today. It gives PC players a chance to try a huge number of game demos. There are more than twice as many demos as there were at last year's event. But people are worried about low-quality content made with generative AI, games that copy other games, and how hard it is to find new games worth playing.

The Steam Next Fest 2026 press page shows just how many demos are available. The total is now 8,202. At first, this seems like a great chance to find a fun new game before November arrives, when GTA 6 is expected to get a lot of attention.

But generative AI remains a concern on Steam. Last June, about 17 percent of the Steam Fest demos said they used generative AI. That is a large share, and the real number may be higher because some creators might not have said they used it. Over the past 12 months, this software has remained popular and may have become even more common.

The problems caused by generative AI games on Steam have also changed. People have used the software to copy existing games. Smaller developers now have to deal with a worrying trend: new indie games being copied and quickly put on Steam. Because of this risk, Alliance Arts suddenly cancelled the Steam Fest demo for its upcoming horror game, Drunken Goddess Reflux.

When the developers of Drunken Goddess Reflux announced their decision, they said they were worried that someone might use the demo to "quickly imitate or replicate the game's presentation and gameplay with AI or other tools, and that such works could be released before our launch." Their concern is not without reason. Another popular indie game, Needle in a Haystack, is now facing a flood of copies that were made quickly.

There is another problem with so many games being released: it becomes harder for people to find them. An indie developer may create a demo to get players interested in an upcoming game. But that demo must compete with a huge number of other demos that are also trying to attract attention.

This is a difficult problem, and it is one result of generative AI tools becoming more widespread. Steam Next Fest has been a great way for players to discover new games. It is still unclear whether future events will be just as useful for game makers and people who enjoy playing games.