Steam Approval Times Hit 12 Business Days as Valve Tweaks Rules

Valve has updated its publishing rules for Steam to ease a growing backlog in the game approval process. According to the company's announcement, the changes come as a large number of new games pour into the store, a significant share of them reportedly built with the help of AI.

Independent studios are feeling the delays most directly. Some have had to miss previously announced release dates, at times by weeks. Valve says it is aware of how stressful the process has become for developers.

A three-to-five-day target, a 12-day reality

Valve's target for reviewing new games is three to five days, but the wait currently stretches to as long as 12 business days. The company introduced the new rules in part to reduce cases that require a second review, since repeat reviews are one reason waiting times have grown.

In a community post, Valve acknowledged feedback from developers, noting that waiting for updated builds to be reviewed is stressful. It said further improvements to the review process are on the way and that these first changes are a good starting point.

New checks developers must complete

The most notable new rule requires developers to run their game through Steam for at least five minutes before submitting it. Valve says it has also been reviewing builds that were never played through Steam. In its view, a game executable may run fine when launched directly, yet the developer may still have skipped basic steps that affect installation and play through Steam.

Developers are also asked to verify common redistributables such as DirectX and Visual C++, confirm that achievements are ready, and check that Steam Cloud save paths are configured correctly. Screenshots must be categorized as gameplay, menu, concept art or cutscene.

The common aim of these steps is to keep incomplete or faulty builds away from the review team, so the same game is not rejected and resubmitted repeatedly.

AI-generated games and the cost to developers

Valve did not mention AI-generated games explicitly in its announcement. However, one developer wrote on X that waiting times rose in September and October and suggested that low-quality AI products flooding the store may be partly responsible. According to figures found by a Reddit user, 49.9 percent of games released on Steam in October disclosed using AI-generated content. In June, roughly 20 percent of Next Fest demos had reported AI use.

Independent developers are paying the price for the delays. The developer of Cubic Earth, who posts as structmira, said the game's trailer has been watched more than 60,000 times on YouTube and has drawn more than 6,000 wishlist additions. According to the developer, the game's Steam community page is quickly filling with player complaints, and the project has lost all of its momentum.

Valve said it will make further improvements to the review process but did not share details on when or how they will be introduced.