Entertainment news and discussion on TalkFuse.
“Steam is derelict of its duty,” says ex-Square Enix exec as Valve struggles with game approvals
Valve says game approvals on Steam are taking up to 12 business days, prompting criticism from former Square Enix executive Jacob Navok, who argues the company should invest more in reviewing submissions. The delays matter to developers waiting to release games, while the growing volume of submissions, including AI-assisted games, adds pressure to the process.
Navok compares Steam with Roblox, saying Roblox can approve games within seconds through automated checks, despite handling far more daily releases. The article cautions that the platforms differ: Roblox projects are built within its own system, and automated moderation can be abused, while Steam reviews a broad range of independently made games. Valve says it has spent several weeks scaling its process to address the increase in submissions and re-reviews.
In short
- Steam approvals are taking up to 12 business days.
- Jacob Navok says Valve needs more review resources.
- The article says Steam and Roblox are difficult to compare.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Navok’s criticism is that Steam’s central role in PC game distribution gives Valve a responsibility to review submissions promptly, since delays can disrupt developers’ launch plans and income. He argues that investing more in review capacity could ease the backlog, and Roblox’s rapid approvals suggest that parts of the process might be made more efficient.
The case against
Steam handles a wide range of independently made games, while Roblox titles are built within a more controlled system, so Roblox’s seconds-long approvals may not be a fair benchmark. Faster automated checks could also be abused, and the growing volume of submissions and re-reviews puts real pressure on Valve’s process; its reported scaling efforts reflect a case for improving review carefully rather than simply prioritising speed.