Steam Doubles Down On Banning Games With Forced In-Game Advertisements

Steam Cracks Down on Forced In-Game Ads, Improves Early Access Transparency

Valve has clarified its stance on in-game advertising, reinforcing its ban on games that force players to watch ads for gameplay or rewards. This policy, part of Steamworks' terms for nearly five years, now has its own dedicated page.

Forced Ads Banned

The updated policy explicitly prohibits games requiring ad viewing for progression or offering rewards for watching ads. This addresses a common practice in free-to-play mobile games. Games utilizing this model must remove ad elements or transition to a paid model before being accepted on Steam. A free-to-play model with optional microtransactions or DLC is also acceptable, as exemplified by Good Pizza, Great Pizza.

Steam's growth (18,942 game releases in 2024 alone, according to SteamDB) likely prompted this policy clarification. The platform maintains an ad-free environment and doesn't support ad-based game monetization.

Product Placement and Cross-Promotions Allowed

The ban doesn't extend to non-disruptive product placement or cross-promotions (with proper licensing), such as brand logos in racing or skateboarding games.

Early Access Update Warnings

Steam has also implemented a feature flagging Early Access games without updates for over a year. These listings now include a message indicating the time since the last update and that developer information may be outdated.

This addition complements existing user reviews and helps users identify potentially abandoned projects. While many welcome this change, some suggest delisting games neglected for extended periods (five years or more). The community largely applauds Valve's proactive steps to enhance user experience and platform quality.