Valve has publicly acknowledged that its Steam game approval process is currently running behind schedule, causing significant delays for independent developers trying to launch their titles. The company stated in a recent Steamworks update that wait times have doubled, with some applications taking up to 12 business days to review instead of the standard three to five days.
Several indie developers have reported their finished games stuck in limbo for weeks. Developers behind titles such as Food Devils, Wheel Make It, and Cubic Earth have posted about the lack of response from Valve. The developer of Cubic Earth, structmira, noted that their game trailer had already garnered over 60,000 views on YouTube and accumulated more than 6,000 wishlists. However, the delay has led to a surge of complaints on their Steam Community page, causing them to lose momentum before the game could even launch.
Valve introduces new developer checklists
In response to the growing backlog, Valve released a new FAQ and a series of checklists designed to help developers submit higher-quality applications that pass review quickly. The company admitted that much of the delay is due to having to re-review games that were initially submitted with errors or missing information.
The most significant new requirement is that developers must run their game through the Steam client for at least five minutes before submission. Valve noted that they frequently review builds that have never been played through Steam, meaning a game might run smoothly when launched directly by the developer but fail basic installation or launch steps for end users.
Other requirements include confirming which common redistributables the game needs, ensuring cloud saves and achievements are properly configured, and adding a minimum of five screenshots to the store page that depict actual gameplay. Valve stated that these guidelines are intended to ensure developers get it right the first time, reducing the need for back-and-forth communication.
AI-generated content impacts review volume
While Valve did not explicitly cite artificial intelligence as the cause of the recent logjam, the timing coincides with a surge in low-quality, AI-generated games on the platform. The rise of language models capable of generating functional games quickly has led to an explosion of submissions that often lack basic polish or functionality.
A Valve developer recently acknowledged the presence of low-quality content on Steam but emphasized that the company does not want to act as gatekeepers regarding the tools developers use. However, the new checklists appear to be a practical response to the influx of submissions that lack fundamental understanding of game development standards.
The issue is not unique to Steam. Itch.io recently announced that it had deleted several terabytes of AI-generated content from its storefront to combat the wave of low-quality games. This broader industry trend suggests that the review backlog may be a symptom of a larger shift in how games are being created and submitted to digital distribution platforms.
Valve indicated that more changes are coming to the build review process, describing the current checklists as a starting point. For now, developers must navigate the extended wait times while hoping their submissions meet the new standards. The company aims to return to its typical review window of three to five days as the backlog clears and developers adapt to the new requirements.
Source: PC Gamer
