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Before publishing an AI-generated game, inventory every AI-assisted or AI-generated element players can see, hear, read, or create; check rights and licenses; complete the disclosures required by each storefront and rating route; and make sure the store page and advertising match the finished product. The checks differ depending on whether AI helped make finished assets, generates content during play, or was used only as an internal development aid.
1. Map where AI appears in the player experience
Start with the build players will receive, not a broad claim that the game “uses AI.” Record what AI did, where its output appears, and whether it is generated before release or during play. Include store-page material as well as game content.
- Finished, player-consumed content: artwork, music, sound effects, dialogue, narrative, localization, or other material created or materially shaped with AI and shipped in the game.
- Live generation: features that create text, images, audio, or other content while the game is running, including through a connected AI service.
- Internal development aid: tools used for workflow or efficiency whose outputs are not themselves consumed by players, such as an internal aid that does not contribute content to the shipped experience.
Keep the categories separate. Steam’s current Content Survey focuses on content that ships with a game and is consumed by players; Steamworks says, “Efficiency gains through the use of these tools is not the focus of this section.” That describes the survey’s scope, not a general exemption from other platform, contractual, or territorial requirements.
2. Verify rights, licenses, and provenance
For each AI-assisted asset, document its source and the terms that govern its creation and use. A platform disclosure does not establish that you have permission to use the material or transfer the necessary rights.
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- Identify the tool or service and check its applicable terms, including any limits on commercial use or output rights.
- Record any third-party material incorporated into the result and assess whether its use is authorized.
- Document human contributions, edits, and approvals alongside the final asset and its intended use.
- Check that you can make the representations required by the storefront and that your marketing does not make claims your rights or records cannot support.
Valve says Steam submissions must not contain illegal or infringing content and must be consistent with their marketing materials. The U.S. Copyright Office’s AI study includes a Part 2 on the copyrightability of generative AI outputs; it does not support a blanket conclusion that every AI output is, or is not, copyrightable. Ownership and infringement questions can depend on the output, human contribution, licenses, jurisdiction, and other facts. Send uncertain or consequential cases for qualified legal review rather than treating a tool’s terms or a platform survey as a legal determination.
3. Complete storefront disclosures for the actual build
Steam: distinguish shipped content from live generation
Steam requires its Content Survey before store-page and product-build review. Answer for the actual game and store page, not just the development process. Disclose pre-generated AI content that ships and is consumed by players. If players can generate content live, describe how the feature works and the guardrails intended to prevent illegal output. Steam may show much of this disclosure on the store page, so check that it is accurate and understandable to customers.
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Completing the survey does not guarantee acceptance: the product remains subject to Steam’s content rules. After the build and store page are approved, some survey answers cannot be changed without contacting Steam Support. Revisit the survey if the content changes, and allow time to resolve a correction before release.
Live-service costs need an access and payment plan
If the game connects to a live AI service that incurs ongoing input or output costs, decide how players will access and pay for that service. Steam identifies options including pricing the cost into the game, microtransactions, a subscription, or DLC. Choose an approach that fits the feature and explain any limits or charges clearly to players.
Other storefronts
Do not assume that a Steam answer satisfies another storefront’s rules. Check each platform’s current submission and disclosure requirements against the content inventory, particularly when the feature generates content at runtime.
4. Prepare the right rating disclosure for each release route
Identify the distribution channel and market before preparing rating materials. Physical retail and digital distribution can follow different procedures; ESRB is not the universal route for every territory or storefront.
| Release route | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Physical retail games using the ESRB process | ESRB describes a publisher questionnaire and a gameplay video showing typical gameplay, missions, cutscenes, and the most extreme content. Include pertinent locked content and context relevant to the rating disclosure. |
| Digital games using IARC | Complete the IARC questionnaire process for the digital release. Check the storefront and territory to confirm that this is the applicable route. |
For either route, inventory what appears in normal play and consider context, reward systems, the degree of player control, and edge cases or content that is locked. For its physical-game process, ESRB says at least three trained raters review content videos; it also says sanctions and fines of up to $1 million may apply to publishers who fail to disclose content fully. Those are process and enforcement details, not measures of AI-game prevalence.
5. Match the store page and promotions to the product
Review screenshots, trailers, demos, descriptions, and rating claims against the release build. Do not present generated or AI-assisted material in a way that misleads players about what the game contains or how it behaves.
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For qualifying advertising of ESRB-rated physical games in the United States and Canada, the Advertising Review Council says ads should accurately reflect the product and its rating. Internet trailers may show game content if they reflect the game’s true nature and do not exceed pertinent content in the game. These are specific advertising guidelines, not a universal rule for every ad, market, or distribution route.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.6. Assess territorial transparency duties
For EU distribution, assess the actual AI use, content, and publication context against Article 50 of the EU AI Act. The European Commission states that the relevant transparency obligations apply from August 2, 2026. Its guidance addresses matters including machine-readable marking or detection and disclosure for specified deepfakes and some AI-generated text on matters of public interest.
This is not a rule to place a visible label on every AI-generated game asset. Whether a particular asset, feature, or communication falls within a duty depends on the circumstances. The Commission’s voluntary code supports compliance; the code itself is not mandatory and does not replace the underlying legal requirements.
7. Keep a review record and update it when the game changes
Maintain an asset-level record connecting each AI use to the final game and its disclosures. A practical record should capture:
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- whether it is pre-generated, generated during play, or internal-only;
- the tool or service, relevant terms, and any third-party inputs;
- human edits and review, along with the approved final version;
- the platform, rating, and promotional language that describes it.
Compare that record with the submitted build, store page, and rating materials whenever content changes. Steam’s review compares survey answers with the build and store page, and some approved survey answers require contacting Support to edit. Recheck platform forms and territorial guidance immediately before submission because policies and implementation guidance can change.
Quick Recap
Release-readiness checklist
- Every AI-assisted or generated element players encounter is inventoried, including content on the store page.
- Live-generation features are distinguished from finished assets and internal development aids.
- Rights, service terms, provenance, human edits, and relevant third-party material have been reviewed.
- Each storefront survey matches the submitted build and marketing; live-generation safeguards are accurately described where requested.
- The correct rating route and market have been identified, and normal, locked, and extreme content has been considered.
- Screenshots, trailers, demos, descriptions, and rating claims reflect the actual game.
- Territorial transparency rules have been assessed for the specific content and publication context.
- A review record is ready to update if the build, disclosures, or promotions change.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
