Valve has updated the checklist that game developers complete before submitting a build for Steam's pre-release review. In a Steamworks Development announcement dated November 3, 2026, it says submissions have increased and its review team is currently taking up to 12 business days for some builds, compared with its typical three to five. The new checks are intended to catch basic problems before a build reaches reviewers. For a maker planning a launch date, the immediate lesson is to leave room for review and for any requested fixes.
What changed in Steam's game release checklist?
One new item asks a member of the developer's Steamworks partner group to launch the game through Steam and play for at least five minutes. The playtime must be recent: within seven days, or since the last build if that build is older. Valve says any group member's playtime can count, and recording the session may take a few minutes after the game closes. The check is meant to reveal problems that a direct executable launch might miss, such as a broken Steam launch option or missing content depot.
Valve also now asks for five screenshots categorized as gameplay. Other categories can show menus, concept art or cinematics, but they need accurate labels, and screenshots cannot be used as a place for marketing copy. A separate set of dynamic reminders appears when a developer submits a build for review. Those reminders depend on features claimed on the store page, such as supported languages or multiplayer access.
Why are Steam reviews taking longer?
Valve attributes the delay to a significant rise in store-page and build submissions and to re-reviews for basic functional issues. It says the current build-review queue can take up to 12 business days, though its usual target is three to five. The announcement does not establish how much of the increase comes from AI-made games, so it would be misleading to present AI as Valve's verified cause. The new checks apply to submissions regardless of how a game was made.
Steamworks' release documentation says the store page and the game build have separate checklists and both must be approved before release. Its standing guidance is to allow at least seven business days for review; the temporary longer queue makes a tighter schedule especially risky now. An approved store page alone does not mean an unreviewed game build can go live.
How should a maker prepare a game for review?
Run the near-final build through Steam, check the first playable experience, and make sure the store page describes features actually present in that build. If multiplayer needs test accounts, provide the reviewer with the access they need. If the page promises multiple languages or Steam Cloud support, test those paths as a player would. Valve says reviewers compare the game with the store description and content survey, including disclosures about mature content and AI use.
These checks are about a game reaching its audience with a working, honest launch. VIBPS did not make Valve's rules and does not review Steam submissions; it is a social network for software where makers can share an app or game they own and connect it to a creator profile. A Steam release and a maker's own audience page serve different purposes, but both benefit from a clear account of what people can actually try.