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Valve is making changes to deal with a ‘significant increase’ in Steam game submissions
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Valve is changing its Steam game review process after reporting a sharp rise in store and page submissions. The company said reviews are now taking up to 12 business days, compared with the usual three to five days. Valve acknowledged it is “running a little behind” as submissions climb.
The delay matters because Steam approval is required before many games can launch. Indie developers have complained about lengthy waits, and some games have missed planned release dates. Valve said much of the backlog comes from re-reviewing games after revised builds are submitted.
To reduce repeat reviews, Valve is updating its release checklist. One requirement asks developers to run games through Steam for at least five minutes. Valve noted some submitted builds had never been played through Steam. A game may run directly but still miss basic steps needed for Steam installation and play.
The checklist also requires achievements to be ready. Developers must confirm any required common redistributables, such as DirectX or Visual C++, that Steam may need to install. Valve said these steps should cut down on re-reviews for basic functional issues.
Valve said more improvements are in the works for the build review process. It did not provide a timeline or estimate how much the backlog might ease. The immediate aim is to speed reviews by reducing avoidable resubmissions.
The update reflects pressure on Steam’s review pipeline as submissions rise. It follows public frustration from independent studios over approval times. The new rules place more responsibility on developers to test the Steam version before submission.
Faster approvals could make launch planning more reliable for developers. Valve expects better-prepared submissions to reduce delays for everyone. The company has not said when further review-process changes will arrive.
