Steam Next Fest 2026 keeps getting bigger, with 8,600 demos arriving as part of the event, including almost 1,700 that use AI. Oh no.
The second Steam Next Fest of 2026 is now underway until June 22, and it’s time to once again ruin your Steam wishlist and free time by playing a ton of demos throughout the next week or so. But as Steam Next Fest grows in popularity, it naturally gets bigger. And this month’s version of the beloved Steam staple is huge. Steam Next Fest June 2026 has 8,682 demos in total, which is roughly double the entire PS2 game library, for those keeping count.
Unfortunately, this many games also come with downsides. As pointed out by a user on ResetEra, 1,694 of those games have an AI Content disclosure included on the Steam Store Page. As evidenced by the likes of the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, and, of course, the Steam Store itself, low-effort AI slop is flooding storefronts, making it even harder for the average person to discover something great.
While some stores have attempted to cull shovelware, such as Sony deleting an entire publisher (the fourth-biggest on PS4 and PS5, at that), the problem persists. And players aren’t falling for it either, as evidenced by the reaction to the news Crazy Taxi: World Tour used AI in development shows.
I already have misgivings seeing games from major publishers – the likes of Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword – appearing in what is generally a great way to find new indie games, but with the ever-growing flurry of AI crap filling up the Next Fest page, it’s going to be a lot harder for gems to be found.
However, there is some good news, as a reply on ResetEra notes: “I’m happy to report that ‘BRAZILIAN DRUG DEALER BEFORE 4: DEMONS FROM THE PORTAL TO HELL I OPENED ARE STILL IN THE FAVELA AND NOW I HAVE TO SAVE MAMADAS FROM RONALDO’ does not use AI!”
Oops, someone just uploaded Steam Machine Geekbench results early, so I’d be surprised if Valve’s box doesn’t arrive next week
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