Valve changes Steam game release rules amid review delays — Engadget
Valve has updated its rules for submitting games to Steam, seeking to reduce the queue for reviewing new releases. The review of builds can currently take up to 12 business days, although the company’s target timeframe is three to five days, Engadget reports.
The company explained that the changes are intended to reduce the number of repeated reviews that affect the duration of the procedure. Developers must launch a game through Steam for at least five minutes to ensure that it works on the platform. Valve noted that it sometimes receives builds that nobody has tested directly through the service, even though the game may work after launching the executable file directly.
What developers need to check
Requirements include confirming the configuration of common components such as DirectX and Visual C++, checking that achievements are ready, and ensuring Steam Cloud save paths are correct. Screenshots must also be categorized as gameplay images, menus, concept art, or cinematic scenes.
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Valve said it had received many requests from developers complaining about long waits for updated builds to be reviewed. The company described the measures introduced as the beginning of further improvements to the review process.
Release delays
According to Engadget, independent developers sometimes miss planned launch dates by several weeks because of delays. Cubic Earth developer structmira told PC Gamer that the trailer received more than 60,000 views on YouTube and that the game had been added to wishlists more than 6,000 times. According to the developer, postponing the release resulted in the loss of the momentum that had been gained.
Developer 2 Left Thumbs suggested on X that the increase in review times may have coincided with an influx of low-quality games created using AI. According to calculations by Reddit user u/ploz, 49.9% of games released on Steam in October disclosed the use of AI-generated content. In June, nearly 20% of Steam Next Fest demos also included such disclosure.
