Steam Escalates Ban on Games with Mandatory Ads

Valve has introduced stringent policies to enhance the gaming experience on Steam by prohibiting games that force players to engage with in-game advertisements. This move aims to maintain a high-quality, immersive environment for PC gamers. Dive deeper into Valve's new rules and their implications for both developers and players.

Valve Rolls Out Rules for Games with Forced Advertising

Games are Forced to Remove Ad Elements

Valve has launched a dedicated policy page that explicitly bans games requiring players to watch or interact with ads to play or receive in-game rewards. This practice, prevalent in many mobile and free-to-play games, often involves unskippable ads between gameplay sessions or as incentives for additional rewards.

The policy, integrated into Steamworks’ terms for nearly five years, now has a standalone page to clarify these rules amidst the growing number of games on Steam. According to SteamDB, 2024 saw an impressive 18,942 game releases, prompting Valve to tighten its guidelines.

Steam, which does not feature paid advertisements, rejects games with ad-based business models. Developers must remove these elements or transform their games into single-purchase paid apps to be listed on Steam. Alternatively, they can adopt a free-to-play model with optional microtransactions or purchasable DLCs. A notable example is the business management game, Good Pizza, Great Pizza, which transitioned its ad-supported features into paid DLCs upon its Steam release.

Product Placements and Cross Promotions Allowed on Steam

While disruptive ads are banned, Steam permits product placements and cross-promotions, such as bundles and sales events, as long as they comply with copyright laws. This includes real-life sponsor logos in racing games like F1 Manager or branded items in skateboarding games.

Valve's policy underscores its commitment to delivering high-quality gaming experiences on PC, ensuring that players enjoy uninterrupted gameplay without forced ads.

"Abandoned" Early Access Games Now Give Warning

In another user-friendly move, Steam now flags Early Access games that haven't been updated in over a year. These games feature a notice on their store pages, indicating the duration since the last update and warning that the developer's information may no longer be current.

This feature helps customers identify potentially abandoned titles amidst the vast selection of Early Access games on Steam. While negative reviews often signal abandoned games, this prominent notice enhances user awareness.

The gaming community has responded positively to this update on social media and Steam forums, with many praising Valve for the initiative. Some users suggest that games neglected for over five years should be delisted to maintain the platform's quality.