1 source 2m ago
Valve Adds Five-Minute Play Requirement To Steam Release Review
Steam developers applying for Valve's release review must now play their build for at least five minutes, using the developer account, within the past seven days or since the current build was uploaded to the default branch.
Reporting from 1 source: Automaton.
Why it matters
A five-minute launch check is a low bar, but it moves Valve's review from paperwork toward proof the build actually runs, which is the part a checklist cannot verify.
Key Facts
- Valve's Steam release review now asks developers to have played their game for at least five minutes.
- The requirement appears on the product build checklist used for Valve's review.
- A thread on the r/gamedev subreddit on October 26 noted the new item, with replies saying it did not exist previously.
- 4Gamers reported on the requirement and independently confirmed it.
The item appears on the product build checklist. A Reddit thread on October 26 noted the change, and developers said it was not there before.
The requirement sits in the product build checklist, alongside the setup items developers already confirm: at least one build and depot, an install directory, and a Windows depot in the package. The new line asks them to have played the title for five minutes on Steam.
The Reddit thread on r/gamedev drew replies saying the item did not exist previously. A 4Gamers report independently confirmed the requirement, according to Automaton, and added the detail that matters: the play time must fall within the past seven days, or since the current build went to the default branch. A build that has not been test-launched recently cannot be submitted.
The stated reason is unclear. Developers in the thread pointed to the volume of low-quality games mass-produced with generative AI, arguing that some applicants submit without checking that the game runs at all.
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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