Valve warns of slower Steam approvals, possibly due to AI game surge

Valve has announced delays in approving new games for Steam, attributing the extended process to a surge in submissions rather than a specific trend. The platform has seen historically high numbers of game submissions, particularly during Steam NextFest, which has overwhelmed Valve’s approval workflow. Developers are now facing longer wait times for their games to be reviewed and published, with some missing planned launch dates entirely. Valve has not directly linked the delays to any single factor but acknowledges a significant increase in submissions for both store pages and build reviews.

In a Tuesday blog post, Valve confirmed that approval times have stretched to up to 12 business days, compared to the usual 3-5 days, due to re-reviews and backlogs. The company also outlined changes to streamline the pre-review process and provided tips to help developers pass initial checks more efficiently. Developers are advised to thoroughly review their store pages and game builds to ensure listed features, such as local co-op, are clearly functional and documented. Valve emphasized that timely communication and accurate submissions can reduce delays and avoid unnecessary rejections.

Developers have reported waiting 2-3 weeks without updates from Valve, with some experiencing rejections for unclear reasons. One developer noted their game, *Wheel Make It*, was rejected because Valve could not activate local co-op, despite the feature being listed on the store page. The game only required two players to share a keyboard, highlighting potential misunderstandings in Valve’s testing process. Such delays and rejections have forced some developers to resubmit multiple times, further extending their wait times.

Valve’s announcement follows observations of a flood of new titles on Steam, including a rise in AI-driven games, which may be contributing to the approval backlog. While Valve has not explicitly blamed AI games, data from platforms like Itch.io suggests a growing number of submissions in this category. The company’s blog post concludes with a call for developers to meticulously prepare their store pages and game builds, ensuring customer experience aligns with listed features to minimize review complications.