UK Games Expo bans AI-generated work via a new policy
Enforcement of its “absolute discretion” remains unclear at the UK’s largest tabletop show.
As part of its new AI policy published on September 24, UK Games Expo (UKGE) has announced that any products created “completely or in significant part” with AI tools will be prohibited at the annual tabletop convention. This includes any images or written text used across all forms of tabletop games, books, and merchandise. There are some allowances, however; in its statement, Birmingham-based UKGE pointed out that the new policy does not preclude works that leverage tools to perform “spell checking and minor editing and aiding in production or accessibility”.
“The organisers at their absolute discretion will require Exhibitors who do exhibit, display or sell such items to remove them and in the case that this request is refused may close down such exhibitor’s stands and ban them from future participation at UK Games Expo,” stated the company in its AI policy. This notice follows a lack of response by UKGE on its generative AI stance during the event in June 2026, despite calls by several tabletop creators to prohibit the sale of products that utilizes AI-generated images and text, as reported by Wargamer. As such, games that contained material generated by LLMs and commercial AI tools, such as Adventure Bears and Blocks of Glory, were allowed to successfully exhibit alongside human-made games without any disclosures.
Rascal reached out to UKGE for explanation of the methods it will employ to identify AI-generated material. Requiring exhibitors to prove their games and products are human-made puts further onus on independent and small teams who are already paying money, time, and labor to attend. The convention organizers did not immediately respond.
UKGE also did not respond to Rascal previously, when the company published an 2025 Instagram post sponsored by Gates of Krystalia, a RPG with several AI-generated images. This decision was met with swift backlash, with some tabletop designers and players criticizing UKGE for promoting a game that was made with extensive generative AI.
With this AI policy, UKGE joins the ranks of other conventions, including Gen Con, Dragonmeet, MCM Comic Con and Tabletop Scotland, in banning products created with generative AI. As the largest games convention in the UK, UKGE’s stance on the use of the unregulated and ecologically disastrous technology may render tabletop games created with generative AI much less commercially viable.
