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Valve has added a requirement that developers launch their game through Steam and log at least five minutes of playtime before submitting a build for review. The change is part of a wider checklist intended to reduce avoidable submission failures as Steam reviews take longer; Valve has not said what is driving the increase in submissions.
Valve now requires developers to launch a game through the Steam client and record at least five minutes of playtime before submitting a build for review, according to TechPowerUp. The requirement is among several additions to Steam’s pre-release checklist, which Valve says are intended to reduce basic submission failures and ease delays in its review process.
The playtime does not have to come from a developer: any player’s session can count, provided Steam recorded it within the past seven days, or since the most recent build upload if that happened more recently. The check is meant to verify that the game has actually been launched through Steam before Valve reviews it.
TechPowerUp reports that Valve has encountered builds that were never run through the client. Those submissions can contain problems such as broken launch options or missing depots, requiring reviewers to flag them and then inspect a later submission. Valve says repeat reviews of builds that fail basic checks contribute to longer waits.
The other checklist additions include at least five screenshots tagged as gameplay, a test save written to Steam Cloud for games that support the service, a list of required redistributables such as DirectX or Visual C++, and a completed achievement setup. These requirements accompany Steam’s existing review of store pages, game builds and content-survey disclosures.
How the New Checks Could Cut Delays
For developers, the new steps add preparation work before a submission can enter review. Teams will need to check that the build runs through Steam, supply the requested store materials and complete relevant configuration. The five-minute threshold is brief, and another player can satisfy it, but the rule makes a Steam-client launch a formal part of readiness for review.
For players, the main potential effect is on how quickly games reach the store. Valve says build reviews that usually take three to five days are now taking up to 12 business days. Those figures describe Valve’s reported review timelines, not a guaranteed wait for every submission. If the added checks prevent avoidable failures and repeat inspections, they could help reduce delays; the source does not provide evidence yet that wait times have fallen.
The expanded checklist also gives developers clearer requirements for common technical and presentation items. However, these steps do not establish that a game is polished, complete or free of problems. They are checks in the submission process, not an assessment of a game’s overall quality.
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Why Steam Is Tightening Submissions
Valve says store-page and build submissions have increased over the past few months, according to TechPowerUp’s report. It has not identified the cause of that rise. The report notes growing complaints about low-effort games, including titles described by critics as “AI slop,” but that discussion does not confirm that such games are responsible for the submission increase.
Valve has said it will not act as a gatekeeper by banning games outright on that basis, the report says. Steam reviewers also compare submissions with developers’ content surveys, which cover mature content and disclosures about AI use. The new checklist is presented as a way to catch submission problems and reduce repeat work, rather than as a new rule excluding a category of games.
Valve’s reported review timeline helps explain the immediate reason for the change: basic failures can send a build back through review, adding work while submission volume is rising. Valve says more changes to the review process are planned, but has not yet detailed them.
“Build reviews that usually take three to five days are now taking up to 12 business days.”
— Valve, as reported by TechPowerUp
What Valve Has Not Explained
Valve has not said what is driving the rise in submissions, nor has it provided figures for the number of builds affected by basic failures or repeat reviews. The connection between the increase and public complaints about AI-generated or low-effort games remains speculation, not a confirmed explanation from Valve.
It is also unclear how consistently the new checks will shorten review times, whether the 12-business-day upper timeline applies broadly, and how Valve will handle submissions that do not meet a particular checklist item. The available report does not specify whether every game must complete every requirement, beyond noting that the Steam Cloud test save applies to games that support the service.
Further Review Changes Expected
Valve says more changes to Steam’s review process are coming, though it has not announced their timing or scope. Developers preparing submissions will need to follow the updated checklist and confirm that their build has qualifying Steam playtime before sending it for review.
The next useful measure of the policy’s effect will be whether Valve reports shorter review waits or fewer submissions returned for basic problems. Until then, the new requirements are confirmed, while their impact on turnaround times remains unknown.
Key Questions
Does a developer personally have to play for five minutes?
No. According to the report, anyone’s playtime can count if Steam logged it within the past seven days or since the latest build upload, if that upload was more recent.
Does the game have to be launched through Steam?
Yes. The new check requires the game to be launched through the Steam client before its build is submitted for review.
What other submission checks did Valve add?
The checklist includes five or more gameplay-tagged screenshots, a test Steam Cloud save for supported games, a list of required redistributables and completed achievement setup.
Will the new rules make Steam reviews faster?
That is Valve’s stated aim, but no improvement has been confirmed. Valve says reviews that normally take three to five days are now taking up to 12 business days, and has not yet reported whether the new checks have changed that.
Source: techpowerup.com
