Former Valve developer Chet Faliszek has pushed back against Tim Sweeney’s latest criticism of Steam, saying the Epic Games CEO is “kinda crashing out.”
Faliszek, whose credits include Portal, Half-Life, and Left 4 Dead, addressed Sweeney’s comments in a new YouTube video. His response focused on Steam’s AI disclosures, Sweeney’s claims about Valve holding back gaming, and Epic’s own approach to labeling AI content.
In brief:
- Faliszek criticized Sweeney’s recent attacks on Steam and Valve.
- He accused the Epic CEO of “making up arguments that simply don’t exist.”
- He pointed to AI disclosures on Epic’s Fab marketplace as a problem with Sweeney’s position.
- Faliszek argued that players should have information to help them decide what to buy.
Chet Faliszek Pushes Back on Tim Sweeney’s Steam AI Criticism
Sweeney’s recent objections include portraying Steam’s AI disclosures as political. He also raised a hypothetical question about developers being required to disclose their political affiliations.
Faliszek rejected that comparison, arguing that it introduces a demand nobody is seriously making. For him, the discussion is about giving customers useful information before they spend money on a game.
He compared it to information about frame rates. A detail can matter to some players even when others have little interest in it. His argument is that buyers should get to make that call themselves.
Epic’s Fab AI Disclosures Become a Talking Point
Faliszek also questioned how Sweeney’s criticism of Steam fits with Epic’s own policies.
He pointed to Sweeney’s stated willingness to keep AI disclosures on Fab, Epic’s digital asset marketplace, even if Steam removed its labels. Faliszek’s response was blunt: “You can’t have it both ways, bro.”
His criticism centers on consistency. If AI information serves a practical purpose for people buying assets on Fab, he argues that players browsing Steam can also find it useful.
Faliszek Challenges Claims That Valve Has Held Gaming Back
Sweeney’s criticism extends beyond AI labels. He has also claimed Valve “has held gaming back for years,” taking aim at the barriers he sees in Steamworks’ social ecosystem.
Faliszek pushed back while acknowledging the quality of Epic’s development tools. He argued that Valve leaves room for third-party solutions rather than building every tool developers might need.
He also challenged Sweeney to bring Alan Wake 2 to Steam, using the game’s PC storefront exclusivity to question Epic’s position on closed ecosystems.
