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Indie Developer to Delete AI-Aided Steam Game on Jan. 30 After Ethics Reversal

Steam now requires AI-use disclosures, reflecting broad uptake of generative tools across 2025 releases.

Overview

  • Eero Laine, known as Rakuel, announced that his free roguelike Hardest will be delisted from Steam on January 30 following a post titled “AI is bad.”
  • Laine said he used university-provided AI for art and music but now cites economic and environmental harms, crediting a new girlfriend for influencing his view.
  • He stated he coded the game himself and may rebuild it with original, non-AI assets at a later date.
  • Hardest launched in July 2025 and has a Mixed reception on Steam, with reporting citing about 54% positive user reviews.
  • After the delisting, owners can keep the game in their libraries, as the move becomes part of a wider industry divide that includes publisher bans and studios that continue to support AI tools.