Valve changes Steam release rules as build reviews slow amid a flood of AI games

[Glenn82]

Steam is tightening the process for releasing games. Engadget reports that Valve has introduced new requirements for developers to reduce the number of game builds that need to be reviewed again

Valve aims to review builds within three to five days, but they are currently taking up to 12 business days. The changes are meant to reduce the backlog

Developers must now run their game through Steam for at least five minutes before submitting it, confirm redistributables such as DirectX and Visual C++, check achievements and Steam Cloud paths, and sort screenshots into categories. Valve said more improvements are coming, but these initial changes are a great starting point

Valve did not directly mention AI, but a Reddit user's analysis found 49.9 percent of October's Steam releases disclosed AI content. The developer of Cubic Earth said the review delay has hurt their game's momentum

Basic checks like running the game through Steam should catch many simple problems before they reach reviewers. The flood of low effort releases is clearly putting pressure on Valve's team. Real indie developers suffer most when reviews slow down, so faster processing would help everyone

Should Valve be stricter about which games reach Steam? And how has the rise of AI games affected your browsing?

Valve just changed its Steam release rules amid a flood of AI games - Engadgetwww.engadget.com

[RedKnight]

Sorting screenshots into categories sounds minor, but it helps reviewers. Clear information speeds up checks. Small changes add up

[Lynx]

Better curation would help players too. Finding good games among thousands of releases is hard. Steam's discovery tools need work. Steam's front page is crowded with releases

Algorithms struggle to surface quality. Curators help a little

[Owen73]

Cubic Earth's developer losing momentum is the human cost. Small teams rely on launch week attention

Every day of delay matters. Basic checks catch silly mistakes

[James_46]

Nearly half of October's releases disclosing AI content is a staggering figure. Steam is being flooded

Valve has to do something. These rules are a start. Steam's openness is part of its appeal

Tighter rules risk blocking good games. Balance is hard