Valve has revised Steam’s pre-release review checklist for developers, adding a required five-minute test in the Steam client along with several extra technical checks, while approval delays are still frustrating teams.
Valve says submissions for Steam store pages and game builds have gone up a lot. The point of the new checklist, according to the company, is to help developers get through review on the first pass instead of getting sent back for avoidable issues and stuck in repeat reviews.
A process that used to take around three to five business days can now stretch to 12, and some developers say they’ve waited two to three weeks. For smaller teams, that can push a launch date back, throw off marketing plans, and hurt visibility right when the game needs it most.
Valve has acknowledged the backlog and says it knows the delays have been stressful. It also says this is only the first step, with more improvements to Steam’s build-review process still on the way.
Before you submit, you now have to run your game through the Steam client for at least five minutes. Valve says some builds were reaching review without ever being launched through Steam, then failing because of launch options or depot setup problems.
If you publish on Steam, pay attention to the rest of the update too. You also need to check redistributables, achievements, Steam Cloud, and at least five correctly labeled gameplay screenshots, especially with 24,299 games launched by early November 2026, up from 14,014 in 2023 and about 4,500 in 2016.
The developer of Cubic Earth said one delay made them “lose all momentum” after a trailer drew 60,000 views.
You can read the updated checklist on Steamworks for Steam developers.
Author: Emmanuel Bosque
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"en-US": "Emmanuel Bosque covers video games at Softonic: releases, the updates that quietly turn a game into a different one, and an industry that rarely announces its moves in advance. He writes for the person who is going to play, not the person who is going to argue: what you can play today, on which platform, and whether it is worth the download. He is part of Softonic's editorial team and works daily with AI tools in content production.",
"es-ES": "Emmanuel Bosque cubre videojuegos en Softonic: lanzamientos, actualizaciones que convierten un juego en otro sin decirlo y los movimientos de una industria que casi nunca avisa. Escribe pensando en quien va a jugar, no en quien va a discutir: qué se puede jugar hoy, en qué plataforma y si de verdad merece la descarga. Forma parte del equipo editorial de Softonic y trabaja a diario con herramientas de IA en la producción de contenido.",
"fr-FR": "Emmanuel Bosque couvre les jeux vidéo chez Softonic : sorties, mises à jour qui transforment discrètement un jeu en un autre, et une industrie qui prévient rarement à l'avance. Il écrit pour celui qui va jouer, pas pour celui qui va débattre : ce qui est jouable aujourd'hui, sur quelle plateforme, et si le téléchargement en vaut la peine. Il fait partie de l'équipe éditoriale de Softonic et travaille au quotidien avec des outils d'IA dans la production de contenu.",
"it-IT": "Emmanuel Bosque si occupa di videogiochi su Softonic: uscite, aggiornamenti che trasformano un gioco in un altro senza dirlo e un'industria che quasi mai avvisa in anticipo. Scrive per chi ha intenzione di giocare, non per chi ha intenzione di discutere: cosa si può giocare oggi, su quale piattaforma e se vale davvero il download. Fa parte del team editoriale di Softonic e lavora ogni giorno con strumenti di IA nella produzione dei contenuti.",
"nl-NL": "Emmanuel Bosque schrijft bij Softonic over videogames: releases, updates die een spel stilletjes in een ander spel veranderen, en een industrie die haar stappen zelden vooraf aankondigt. Hij schrijft voor wie gaat spelen, niet voor wie gaat discussiëren: wat je vandaag kunt spelen, op welk platform en of de download het waard is. Hij maakt deel uit van de redactie van Softonic en werkt dagelijks met AI-tools in de contentproductie.",
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"pt-BR": "Emmanuel Bosque cobre games na Softonic: lançamentos, atualizações que transformam um jogo em outro sem avisar e uma indústria que raramente anuncia seus movimentos com antecedência. Escreve para quem vai jogar, não para quem vai discutir: o que dá para jogar hoje, em qual plataforma e se vale mesmo o download. Faz parte da equipe editorial da Softonic e trabalha diariamente com ferramentas de IA na produção de conteúdo."
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