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Steam review delays reach 12 working days as Valve tightens checks
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.
In short
- 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.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Stronger checks can protect players from broken launches and make Steam’s store more reliable. Requiring developers to test builds and confirm achievements and essential components may catch avoidable problems earlier, reducing repeat reviews and helping games work as advertised.
The case against
Longer review queues can impose real costs on developers, especially small studios with limited budgets and carefully timed launches. A checklist that adds preparation requirements may improve submissions, but delays of up to 12 working days can still disrupt release plans, so Valve should make reviews predictable and address capacity as well as submission quality.
Explained simply
Steam is a digital shop and community platform run by Valve, where people buy and play computer games. Developers submit games and store pages for Valve to review before they go live.
Many independent developers use Steam to reach players, and their launch plans can depend on reviews being completed on time. Checks help ensure games and their store pages meet the platform’s requirements, including that the game starts and its features work.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Verge as “Valve is making changes to deal with a ‘significant increase’ in Steam game submissions”.