Steam Doubles Down On Banning Games With Forced In-Game Advertisements

Valve has recently taken a firm stance against games that force players to engage with in-game advertisements, establishing a dedicated policy page to outline these rules. This move is particularly significant for gamers who have grown tired of the intrusive advertising often seen in mobile games, especially within the free-to-play genre. These games typically feature unskippable ads between levels or offer ads as a means to earn rewards like energy refills. Valve's policy, integrated into Steamworks' terms and conditions for nearly five years, now has a standalone page, likely in response to the increasing volume of games on the platform. According to SteamDB, 2024 saw an impressive 18,942 game releases on Steam.

Valve Rolls Out Rules for Games with Forced Advertising

With Steam's commitment to not featuring paid advertisements on its platform, Valve is enforcing strict guidelines against games that rely on ad-based revenue models. Developers wishing to launch such games on Steam must either remove the ad elements entirely or transition the game into a "single purchase paid app." Alternatively, they can adopt a free-to-play model with optional microtransactions or purchasable downloadable content (DLC). A prime example of a game adapting to these rules is the business management simulator Good Pizza, Great Pizza, which now offers its add-ons as paid DLCs or unlockable through gameplay.

Product Placements and Cross Promotions Allowed on Steam

While forced ads are off-limits, Steam does permit product placements and cross promotions, such as bundles and sale events, as long as the necessary licenses are secured for any copyrighted material. This includes racing games like F1 Manager that feature real-life sponsor logos on racecars, or skateboarding games that showcase authentic brand names. This policy enhances the quality of games available on PC and ensures a seamless user experience free from disruptive advertisements.

"Abandoned" Early Access Games Now Give Warning

In addition to addressing in-game ads, Steam has introduced a new feature to flag Early Access games that have not received updates for over a year. These games will display a notice on their store page, indicating the duration since the last update and warning that the developer's information and timeline may no longer be current. This feature aims to assist customers in identifying potentially abandoned titles amidst the growing number of Early Access games on the platform. Although negative reviews often hint at a game's abandonment, this prominent notice adds an extra layer of transparency.

The gaming community has responded positively to these updates, with many expressing gratitude on social media and Steam forums. Some users have even suggested that games neglected for over five years should be removed from the platform altogether.