Valve has introduced a new advertising policy for Steam, banning in-game ads as a revenue model.
The new policy is outlined in the Steamworks developer documentation and aims to prevent developers from using ads that interfere with gameplay, such as forcing players to watch ads in exchange for continuing the game or unlocking rewards.
What’s Allowed and What’s Banned
Allowed: Product placement is still permitted, as long as it’s non-disruptive and makes sense within the context of the game. For example, a racing game with real-life sponsors on cars is fine.
Banned: In-game ads that gate progress or interfere with the gameplay experience are strictly prohibited. Valve has made it clear that games cannot require players to watch ads to progress, earn power-ups, or gain in-game currency. This is essentially a ban on the “watch this ad to continue playing” model that has become common in mobile games.
Other Advertising Rules
- Cross-promotions are still allowed, but Valve will not accept developers paying to participate in bundles or gain access to store pages on Steam.
- Paid advertising campaigns outside of Steam that drive traffic to Steam store pages are acceptable.
A Preventative Measure
While this type of advertising has not been prevalent on Steam, Valve is taking steps to prevent its introduction in the future.
The move is likely a response to the increasing trend of ad-based revenue models in mobile and free-to-play games.
In addition to this new ad policy, Valve has already banned NFT and crypto-derived games and requires games using generative AI to disclose their use, signaling that Valve has a clear vision of what it wants for the future of PC gaming on its platform.
