Valve has announced changes to its Steam game review process in response to what it calls a 'significant increase in submissions for store and page review in recent months.' In a blog post, the company admitted it is 'running a little behind,' with reviews now taking up to 12 business days instead of the usual 3-5 days.
The delays have frustrated indie developers, with some games missing planned launch dates. Valve says much of the backlog stems from having to re-review games due to basic functional issues, and the new requirements aim to reduce those repeat reviews.
New Requirements for Steam Developers
Starting immediately, developers must run their games through Steam for at least five minutes before submitting for review. Valve noted that some builds have never been played through Steam, meaning developers might miss basic steps that affect installation and playability via the platform.
Valve is also requiring developers to ensure achievements are ready and to confirm any necessary common redistributables, such as DirectX or Visual C++, that Steam may need to install.
- Run games through Steam for at least five minutes
- Ensure achievements are properly configured
- Confirm required redistributables (e.g., DirectX, Visual C++)
- Aim to reduce re-reviews for basic functional issues
