Steam’s growing review queue pushes indie games past launch dates

Indie developers say lengthy Steam approval waits have forced some to miss planned launch dates, raising concerns about how reliably smaller studios can schedule releases. Developers suspect a crowded review queue may be contributing, though Valve has not confirmed the cause.

Studio Daimon submitted its game Food Devils on 12 October for an intended early access launch, but it was still awaiting approval on the planned release day. Publisher 2 Left Thumbs said Wheel Make It launched nearly two weeks late after build reviews; one review reportedly failed over a menu option that could not be used with a controller. Valve says store page reviews typically take three to five business days and advises submitting at least seven business days ahead. October’s Steam Next Fest featured 7,240 games, 65.2 per cent more than June’s event.