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When Valve launched Steam Direct in June 2017 it marked a huge shift in the storefront's identity. Before Direct, Valve manually decided what did and did not release on Steam, or else it used initiatives like Steam Greenlight to have users decide what games would or would not enjoy placement.

Before June 2017, the amount of games that shipped on Steam per month had only once exceeded 500 (518, in December 2016). Since February 2025, the amount of games shipping on Steam per month has never dropped beneath 1500.

Forgive me the onslaught of numbers, but just one more: The total amount of games shipped on Steam in 2025 was 21,382. In mid-July 2026, just a little over halfway through the year, there's already been 13,359 new titles launched.

I think Steam's history can be carved up into three distinct eras:

February 2006 - August 2012 (rarely more than 30 new games a week)

August 2012 - June 2017, the Greenlight years (growth from ~20 new games to ~350 games per month)

June 2017 - onwards, the Steam Direct years (from ~650 new games a month to ~1500)

Within that third era, growth has spiked since roughly the beginning of 2025. You have three guesses why. (And if you need a second guess, which secluded island paradise do you live on and how do I get there?)

I was prompted to look up these numbers on SteamDB after reading a recent article by Sulka Haro, co-founder of the Finnish studio behind early access MMO Pax Dei (he's also worked on Habbo Hotel and a couple of The Walking Dead games). Haro has run a census on the roughly 53,600 Steam games released between mid-2023 and mid-2026 to determine how many come bearing an AI disclosure, keeping in mind that the disclosure box only rolled out in January 2024.

In 2024, 10.9% of games had an AI disclosure. In 2025, it was 19.9% . From the vantage point of July 2026, 30.8% of the games released on Steam this year so far have an AI disclosure (which corresponds with the much narrower "study" I conducted last month). According to Haro, the continuing growth of Steam's "release volume" is hugely influenced by AI.

"Steam’s release volume has grown a lot—but the growth isn’t evenly spread," Haro writes. "Non-AI launches have risen only modestly (~1,030 → ~1,320 per month), while AI-flagged launches went from a rounding error (~13/month pre-mandate) to ~530/month."

If the amount of AI-flagged games continues to rise at the current trajectory, around half of all games on Steam will be AI-flagged at some point between 2027-2028. Still, as Haro discovers, basically none of them will make any money, and few of them are reviewed well by users, if they're reviewed at all.

There are a huge amount of fascinating insights in Haro's article and I highly recommend you check it out . Also don't miss this follow-up which dives into, among other things, the genres that lean most heavily on generative AI (unsurprisingly: management sims are right at the top).

This growing tidal wave of AI-flagged content demonstrates that it's only going to get harder for smaller devs, especially those without the support of a publisher, to standout on Steam. Why would anyone bother looking for deep cuts when there are thousands of entirely AI-built visual novels to wade through, each more soulless and uncanny than the previous?

With the sludge rapidly rising from our throats to our nose, a Steam filter cannot come quickly enough.

Top Steam games by revenue (July 7 - 14)

Steam releases its top sellers charts on Wednesdays, so the below chart doesn't factor in some late week releases. That said, aside from Palworld's 1.0 launch, there wasn't much of note released last week.

Rank

Game

1

Counter-Strike 2

2

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

3

PUB: Battlegrounds

4

Palworld

5

Dota 2

6

Granblue Fantasy: Relink

7

Meccha Chameleon

8

Marvel Rivals

9

Apex Legends

10

Granblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok Upgrade Kit (Standard Edition)

An extremely sleepy week for new releases means there's basically no surprises here. Mecca Chameleon is still going gangbusters, to the extent that it's now spawning a pestilence of AI ripoffs . 2025's Granblue Fantasy: Relink just got a hefty expansion, hence its return to the chart. Palworld got its 1.0 release, and people continue to play the usual live service candidates.

The lull is likely to continue. While Halo: Campaign Evolved hits next week (July 28), it'll also be available on PC Game Pass, so Steam's numbers won't paint the full picture. After that, the next game most likely to make a splash is Star Wars Zero Company, which hits on August 27.

Last week's Steam deep cuts

(Image credit: bilge)

Walk | July 18

Here's a fun and simple game about walking, inspired by the creator's daily strolls. Each walk is basically a series of blocks you can snap together, and each block has a playable mini-scene of its own. Get coffee, make a snowman, probably pat a dog. I dunno, I'd be surprised if there wasn't a dog.

Strikers Club | July 18

If you're feeling downcast in the aftermath of the World Cup, maybe this free-to-play soccer sim can keep the buzz going. It's kinda like Rematch, in the sense that you play as a single player throughout a match, and the expectation is that you'll stick to your position. It does somewhat lack the flair of Rematch but it is, crucially, free.

LarsGadiel | July 17

This metroidvania is unforgivingly dedicated to evoking the 8-bit era, so the easily frustrated should not apply. But I think one look at the trailer is going to have a certain kind of retro enthusiast smashing that Add to Cart button quicker than you can say "Exclusive Teleport System". I need it now.

Moss: The Forgotten Relic | July 17

The Moss series has had an elaborate release history: the two 3D platformers included here were originally PlayStation VR exclusives. Then, those VR games came to PC. This is the first time the storybook-themed adventures have been available as conventional non-VR titles. If you're into light puzzling, light hacking and slashing, and an overdose of fairytale whimsy, you'll probably dig.

Steam review of the week

"It's okay to kill people and throw them into an eldritch flesh-pit as long as they deserve it.

Is it a game about materialism? Is it about found family?

All I know is, it feels super cathartic to finally tackle and stab someone 58 times after being chased by a giant tree."

Failgirl69 , ruminating rather disturbingly on Feed the Pit .

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Spy shots show prototype electric M3 with the M Concept Neue Klasse’s hood vent.

Quad-motor powertrain could deliver over 700 hp and advanced torque vectoring.

BMW will sell visually similar electric and gasoline M3 models alongside each other.

BMW ‘s electric M3 is gradually stepping out of the shadows. The naming question is already settled, with M boss Frank van Meel confirming at Goodwood that the car drops the i prefix and simply carries the M3 badge . Now fresh spy shots from the Nürburgring show the high-performance EV wearing less camouflage than before, giving a clearer look at the production model BMW hopes will convince enthusiasts that an M car doesn’t need exhausts to be exhilarating.

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Also: BMW’s New Gas M3 Loses Its Grille But Keeps Its Six, And Maybe The Clutch Too

The latest prototype appears heavily influenced by the recently revealed M Concept Neue Klasse , which BMW showcased at Le Mans as a preview of its future electric performance models. While there’s still some disguise covering key details, the overall shape and many of the styling cues now look very close to what buyers can expect when the car finally reaches showrooms.

SH Proshots

Compared to a regular i3 sedan, this prototype looks considerably more aggressive. The swollen wheel arches remain one of the most obvious giveaways, while the car also appears to feature a wider track, rear diffuser and trunk lid spoiler, and a hood vent that wasn’t visible on previous prototypes, but did appear on the concept.

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Under the skin, BMW is expected to fit a quad-motor powertrain with one electric motor driving each wheel. While the company hasn’t confirmed output figures, reports continue to suggest the electric M3 could produce more than 700 hp (710 PS), with up to 1,000 hp (1,014 PS) possible on hardcore models later.

The real challenge, however, isn’t straight-line speed. Plenty of EVs can deliver shocking acceleration. What BMW’s engineers need to prove is that this car can deliver the balance, precision and adjustability that have defined generations of M3 s. That’s where the four-motor setup could become a genuine advantage, allowing far more precise torque distribution than a conventional all-wheel-drive system.

More Power Than Its Combustion M3 Brother

Fortunately for traditionalists, the electric model won’t replace the combustion-powered M3. BMW is expected to offer both cars simultaneously, with the gasoline version continuing to fly the flag for six-cylinder performance while the EV pushes the brand into new territory. It’s unlikely that the visually similar petrol M3 will make anywhere near as much power as the electric one, though.

SH Proshots

With camouflage steadily disappearing and testing activity ramping up, it looks increasingly likely that we’ll see the finished product sooner rather than later. Whether diehard M fans embrace it is another matter entirely.

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Related: The 10-Foot-Wide M3 Isn’t Photoshopped, But It Isn’t A BMW Either

Check out the gallery below showing the M Concept Neue Klasse to see how the production M3 EV could look when the swirly camo comes off.

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BMW