Steam Intensifies Ban on Games with Mandatory Ads

Valve has taken a firm stance against games that force players to engage with in-game advertisements, creating a dedicated policy page to outline these rules. This move is significant for gamers looking for uninterrupted gameplay experiences on Steam.

Games Must Remove Ad Elements

Valve's new policy explicitly bans games that require players to watch or interact with ads to progress or receive rewards. This practice, often seen in mobile and free-to-play games, disrupts gameplay with unskippable ads between levels or offers ads for in-game benefits like energy refills.

The policy, part of Steamworks' terms for nearly five years, now has its own page, likely due to the increasing number of games on Steam. According to SteamDB, 2024 saw 18,942 game releases, highlighting the need for stricter guidelines.

Steam, which does not feature paid ads, does not support ad-based business models. Games with such models must remove these elements or transition to a "single purchase paid app" model. Alternatively, they can adopt a free-to-play model with optional microtransactions or purchasable DLCs. A successful example is "Good Pizza, Great Pizza," which converted its ads into paid DLCs or unlockable content.

Product Placements and Cross Promotions Permitted

While forced ads are prohibited, product placements and cross-promotions, such as bundles and sales events, are allowed if they comply with copyright laws. For instance, racing games like "F1 Manager" can feature real sponsor logos, and skateboarding games can showcase real-world brands.

This policy aims to enhance the quality of games on Steam and improve user experience by eliminating disruptive ads, ensuring a more immersive gaming environment.

"Abandoned" Early Access Games Now Flagged

In addition to the ad policy, Steam has introduced a feature to flag Early Access games that haven't been updated in over a year. These games now display a notice on their store pages, indicating the duration since the last update and warning that the developer's information may be outdated.

This feature helps customers identify potentially abandoned titles amidst the growing number of Early Access games on Steam. While negative reviews often signal abandoned games, this new notice provides a clear and immediate alert.

The gaming community has responded positively to this feature on social media and Steam forums, with many appreciating the transparency. Some users suggest that games not updated in over five years should be delisted, reflecting a desire for active and maintained game offerings on the platform.