With all the AI slop flying about, I'm glad Valve's still celebrating real artists with the latest Steam sale

My favorite part about Steam sales isn't the deep discounts on games that'll likely sit in my library unplayed for the next decade. No, the thing that gets me most excited when the next big promo rolls around is the key art. Over the years, Valve has commissioned some amazing creatives to bring a human touch to proceedings, and it's making sure its Spring Sale artists are getting their flowers as gen-AI continues to infest and rot creative integrity.

Gen-AI is absolutely everywhere now. From the biggest triple-As like Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Battlefield, down to the upcoming PC games of tomorrow showcased at Steam Next Fest, we are tumbling ever further down an anti-creative, pro-generative hole that I would very much like to get out of. Even GOG, the pro-consumer champion of DRM-free gaming, netted an own-goal after it had seemingly promoted its latest New Year sale with an AI-made banner. I'm tired of watching the industry make a mockery out of the countless thousands of hours of graft put in by creative talent to actually be able to create something beautiful. At least the profit margins are good, I guess.

It's because of all this gen-AI nonsense that it's become more important than ever to celebrate the amazing work of our peers. So, as Steam highlights Spring Sale duo Tiffany Diep and 'thanhuki,' I can't help but feel a small swell of pride. While Diep created the adorable chicken and dragon who adorn the graphics, thanhuki brought them to life via their animation work.

As Steam notes, scrubbing through your Discovery Queue yields some free stickers featuring the flappy friends. If you've been stockpiling Steam Points in the hopes of finding something worthwhile to use them on, then the profile cosmetics available in the Points Store might be right up your alley.

The Steam Spring Sale is now live, with plenty of cracking deals to be found. Ken has already gone deep into the sales sauce, plucking out some of the best PC games on offer. Between deciding whether you're Team Blazer or Team Visi in Dispatch, and getting hopelessly lost in your granddad's old mansion in Blue Prince, there are some truly excellent experiences to be had.