Valve is taking action against a growing issue in the gaming world: forced advertisements. This practice, often seen in mobile games, has now spread to PC games, potentially fueled by the rise of handheld consoles like the Steam Deck. Many players have encountered games that require them to watch entire ads in exchange for continuing gameplay, a feature that Valve is no longer willing to accept.
According to new rules published in Steam’s terms and conditions, games that force users to view ads will be banned and removed from Steam. This includes not just games with interruptions during gameplay but also those that offer in-game rewards in exchange for watching ads.
What Developers Need to Know
Valve’s new policy clearly states:
- Developers should not utilize paid advertising as a business model in their game, such as requiring players to watch or otherwise engage with advertising in order to play, or gating gameplay behind advertising. If your game’s business model relies on advertising on other platforms, you will need to remove those elements before shipping on Steam. Some options you could consider include switching to a single purchase “paid app,” or making your game free to play with optional upgrades sold via Microtransactions or Downloadable Content (DLC).
- Developers should not use advertising as a way to provide value to players, such as giving players a reward for watching or engaging with advertising in their game.
- Developers should not charge other developers for access to Steam features. These include sale pages, bundles, store pages, franchise pages, etc.
These changes are a welcome step in ensuring the quality of PC games on Steam, maintaining a better experience for players and stop unfair ways of making money from ads.
