# Steam review delays reach 12 working days as Valve tightens checks

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/valve-is-making-changes-to-deal-with-a-significant-increase-in-steam-game-submissions/
- Published: 2026-11-03T22:15:33+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T22:27:35+00:00
- Original publisher: The Verge
- Original article: https://www.theverge.com/games/1025722/valve-steam-game-increase-submissions
- Topics: Software, Technology

## Key points

- Steam reviews can now take up to 12 business days.
- Valve says repeat checks account for much of the delay.
- Developers face new checks for gameplay, achievements and required software.

## Summary

Valve says a sharp rise in Steam game submissions has slowed its store and page reviews, with checks now taking up to 12 business days instead of the usual three to five. The delays have frustrated indie developers and led some games to miss planned launch dates.

Valve says many delays come from having to review games again, so it is changing its release checklist to catch basic issues earlier. Developers must run games through Steam for at least five minutes, ensure achievements are ready and confirm required components such as DirectX or Visual C++ can be installed; further review improvements are planned.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.