Valve Strikes Down On Developers By Banning Steam Games Making Use Of In-Game Ads

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The use of advertisements within video games, often referred to as in-game advertising, has become quite common – particularly in free-to-play (F2P) games for mobile devices over the past few years. This trend has also extended to more traditional PC games, especially F2P ones. However, Valve is addressing this issue by updating their guidelines and prohibiting specific forms of in-game advertising on Steam.

Valve has unveiled new rules that will penalize developers who incorporate in-game ads within their games, particularly those where such ads form part of the business strategy. This policy shift is outlined in a fresh post on Steamworks, as Valve aims to protect its users and provide them with an optimal experience on Steam by refining its advertising approach on the platform.

As stated in Valve’s recent Steamworks post, they have detailed that certain guidelines will allow for in-game advertisements such as cross-promotions including bundles, sales events, and products not within the Steam ecosystem. Importantly, Valve emphasized that it is never acceptable to charge other developers for participating in a bundle or selling access to a sale page or any other page on Steam.

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A different approach is permitting developers to run paid advertisements beyond the Steam platform, which may help direct traffic towards their product listings on Steam. Utilizing tools such as Store Widgets and UTM Analytics can aid in this endeavor. Additionally, product placements are acceptable within Steam games, particularly those that include real-world brands, goods, personalities, or other elements integral to gameplay. However, the portrayals of these items must not interfere with the game’s flow and should be fitting within the context of the game itself.

As a dedicated fan, I’d rephrase it like this: Valve has shed light on their approach, stating that they strictly forbid any gaming experiences where players must interact with advertisements as a prerequisite to play or access certain parts of the game. This includes scenarios where gameplay is deliberately gated behind ads. If such ad-reliant models extend to platforms outside Steam, Valve insists that developers eliminate these features before their games can be released on Steam.

Developers might explore different approaches, like changing the game into a one-time purchase app called a “paid app” or releasing it as a Free-to-Play (F2P) title with extra content available for purchase as Downloadable Content (DLCs) or microtransactions. Furthermore, Valve emphasized that developers should not demand payment from other developers for using Steam features such as game bundles, franchise pages, store pages, and promotional sale pages on Steam.

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2025-02-12 16:13