Steam adds new checks for game makers as AI games clog the queue

Valve has changed the rules for getting a game onto Steam, its PC game store, because new games are piling up waiting for approval. Many of the new titles were made with AI. Valve aims to review new games in three to five days. Right now it takes up to 12 business days.

What changed

Developers must now play their game through Steam for at least five minutes before they submit it. Valve says it reviews some builds that were never played through Steam. A game can run fine when a developer launches it directly and still miss basic steps that affect a player who installs it through Steam.

Valve also added several other requirements. Developers now have to:

• Confirm common support software such as DirectX and Visual C++
• Check that achievements are ready
• Confirm Steam Cloud save paths are set up correctly
• Label screenshots as gameplay, menus, concept art or cinematics

Valve says the changes are partly meant to avoid re-reviews, which add to the wait.

Why the backlog grew

Valve's announcement did not mention AI. Developers did. Developer 2 Left Thumbs said on X that review times seemed to spike around September and October, pointing to the "slop" now flooding Steam. Reddit user u/ploz found that 49.9 percent of games released on Steam in October disclosed AI-generated content. In June, nearly 20 percent of Next Fest game demos disclosed AI use.

Who it affects

Small developers feel it most. Indie games are missing launch dates, sometimes by weeks. The developer of Cubic Earth told PC Gamer the game's trailer drew more than 60,000 YouTube views and the game had more than 6,000 wishlists, which are lists players use to save games they want. Now, the developer said, the game's Steam Community page is filling with player complaints and the team has lost momentum.

For players, the likely effect is simple. Some games you are waiting for may arrive later than announced.

What happens next

Valve wrote that more improvements to the build review process are coming and called these changes a starting point. It has not said when those arrive. It also has not said whether review times will return to three to five days, or whether the new checks will be enough to clear the backlog.