Steam Cracks Down on Forced In-Game Ads and Abandoned Early Access Titles

Valve has solidified its stance against intrusive in-game advertising, creating a dedicated policy page outlining its ban on games requiring players to watch ads for gameplay or rewards. While this policy has existed within Steamworks' terms for years, its prominent placement reflects Steam's growing library and a commitment to a superior user experience.

The Ban on Forced Ads

The new policy explicitly prohibits games that force players to view ads to progress or unlock rewards. This practice, common in free-to-play mobile games, is incompatible with Steam's ad-free environment. Games utilizing this model must remove ad elements or transition to a paid model (single purchase or free-to-play with optional microtransactions/DLC). Good Pizza, Great Pizza serves as an example of successful adaptation to the latter.

Permitted Advertising Practices

The policy clarifies that product placement and cross-promotions (with proper licensing) remain acceptable. This allows for realistic branding in games like racing or skateboarding simulators.

This move prioritizes high-quality games and an uninterrupted player experience, ensuring a consistent ad-free environment on the platform.

New Warnings for Abandoned Early Access Games

Steam has introduced a feature flagging Early Access games stagnant for over a year. These listings now prominently display the time since the last update and a disclaimer about potentially outdated information. This complements existing user reviews, providing clearer signals to potential buyers.

The community response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising Valve's proactive approach. Some suggest that games abandoned for extended periods (e.g., five years) should be removed entirely from the platform.