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Valve has added a requirement that developers launch a game through Steam and log at least five minutes of playtime before submitting a build for review. The change is part of a broader checklist intended to reduce review delays, which Valve says have reached as long as 12 business days.
Valve now requires developers to run a game through the Steam client for at least five minutes before submitting it for review, according to TechPowerUp’s report on changes to Steam’s pre-release checklist. The rule is part of a wider set of checks intended to reduce review delays; Valve says build reviews that usually take three to five days can now take up to 12 business days.
The playtime does not have to come from the developer personally. According to the report, anyone’s recorded playtime counts, provided it occurred within the previous seven days—or since the last build upload if that happened more recently. The requirement is specifically to run the game through Steam, rather than simply launch it by another method.
TechPowerUp reports that Valve has encountered builds that were never tested through the Steam client. That can leave problems such as broken launch options or missing depots undetected until review. Valve’s stated aim for the checklist changes is to reduce avoidable review work and the resulting backlog, though the report does not provide a numerical estimate of how much time the new checks will save.
Other additions include a minimum of 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 completed achievement setup. These are submission-readiness checks, not a published change to Steam’s standards for which games may be approved.
How the New Checks Could Cut Delays
The requirements push more basic testing and setup work ahead of formal review. If a game has not been launched through Steam, or its store materials and platform features are incomplete, reviewers may have to flag the submission and examine a corrected build later. Requiring a recent Steam-launched session and completed checklist items could catch some problems before submission, potentially reducing repeat work.
For developers, the immediate effect is additional preparation: a team must confirm that the submitted build starts through Steam, provide the requested store assets, and configure relevant features before sending it for review. The five-minute threshold is modest, but it requires a recent recorded session tied to the Steam client. For players, the matter is indirect: review speed can affect when a game’s store page or build is ready, but the available information does not establish that the changes will shorten approval times.
The reported wait of up to 12 business days is also a planning issue for studios coordinating launches. Valve links longer waits to a rise in store-page and build submissions and to reviews that must be repeated after basic checks fail. The checklist may address one source of that rework, but its effect on the backlog has not yet been measured publicly.
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Steam’s Growing Review Backlog
Valve’s review process covers both store-page submissions and game builds. According to the TechPowerUp report, Valve said the number of submissions has risen over recent months. It also said build reviews, which normally take three to five days, are currently taking as long as 12 business days. Those figures describe the reported review timelines; the source does not specify how many submissions are waiting or how the delays vary by type of submission.
Reviewers also compare games with their content survey, which includes declarations about mature content and AI use. That review remains separate from the newly listed setup checks. TechPowerUp notes that public complaints about low-effort games described as “AI slop” have grown, but Valve has not said that this criticism caused the submission increase. The report says Valve has stated it will not act as a gatekeeper by banning such games outright; that position does not establish how any individual game will fare in review.
The new checklist addresses concrete readiness items, including whether a build has been run through Steam and whether required materials and features are configured. It does not, on the information provided, introduce a new content policy or guarantee that a game will pass review after meeting the checklist.
“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
The report does not say how many submissions are currently delayed, what share of review failures involve builds that were not tested through Steam, or how many developers will need to change their process. Valve has not provided a forecast for when review times might return to their usual range, nor data showing whether the new checklist is already reducing repeat reviews.
The reason for the rise in submissions also remains unspecified by Valve. Public discussion about AI-generated games is part of the surrounding debate, but the available reporting does not establish that AI-related submissions caused the increase. It is also unclear whether Valve will add penalties or other consequences for submissions that do not meet the new requirements, and whether every item applies in the same way to all games.
Developers Prepare for Further Checks
Developers preparing builds for Steam review will need to follow the updated checklist: run the game through the client, confirm that qualifying playtime was logged recently, and complete the applicable screenshot, cloud-save, redistributable, and achievement requirements. The timing condition means a session may need to be repeated if it falls outside the allowed period or a newer build has been uploaded.
Valve has said more review changes are coming, according to TechPowerUp, but has not announced their details or a schedule. The next indication of whether the changes are working would be updated information on submission waits or repeat reviews. Until Valve supplies that information, the intended reduction in review delays remains a goal rather than a confirmed outcome.
Key Questions
Does the developer personally have to play the game?
No. TechPowerUp reports that any person’s playtime counts, as long as Steam recorded it within the previous seven days or since the last build upload if that was more recent.
Does the game have to be launched through Steam?
Yes, according to the report. The requirement is to launch the game through the Steam client and log at least five minutes of playtime before submitting it for review.
What other items are on the updated checklist?
The reported additions include five gameplay-tagged screenshots, a test Steam Cloud save for games that support cloud saves, a list of required redistributables, and completed achievement setup.
Will the new requirements make reviews faster?
That is Valve’s stated aim, but a speed improvement has not been demonstrated in the information reported so far. Valve says build reviews can currently take up to 12 business days, compared with a usual three to five days.
Why have Steam submissions increased?
Valve has not explained the increase, according to TechPowerUp. Discussion about AI-generated games is part of the broader debate, but the report does not confirm that those games are responsible for the rise.
Source: techpowerup.com
