Valve has overhauled the pre-release build review process on Steam amid a surge in game publication applications. The company openly acknowledged that the standard review window of three to five business days is no longer being met, with wait times now stretching up to 12 days. According to Valve, the delays are caused not only by overall queue volumes but also by a high number of re-reviews: builds frequently come back for re-examination due to basic technical errors missed by the developers themselves. To reduce the number of such 'returns,' the company has added several new mandatory items to the release checklist, the most notable being the requirement to launch the game directly via the Steam client and spend at least five minutes in it.
Why the review queue has grown
The primary reason for extended turnaround times is a combination of two factors: the overall flow of submissions and the share of builds undergoing re-review. Valve points to a simple yet unpleasant reality: builds sometimes reach the review queue that developers have never once launched through the store itself. A game might start up fine when double-clicking the executable directly, but fail to launch when installed via Steam due to misconfigured launch parameters or other minor details visible only in the 'retail' environment. It is precisely these cases that trigger re-reviews for basic technical reasons and bloat the overall queue.
The five-minute client rule
Now, before submitting a build, developers must click 'Play' in the Steam client and spend a minimum of five minutes in the game. Time logged by any user counts, provided it falls within the last seven days or occurred after the current build was uploaded, if it is older than a week. After exiting the game, the checklist status updates with a slight delay—usually within a few minutes. Five minutes is a symbolic threshold, but it is designed to weed out the most egregious cases of 'untested' builds and force creators to ensure the product launches the way an ordinary player will see it, rather than just starting from the project folder.
Cloud, icons, and common components
In addition to the mandatory Steam run-through, the checklist now includes other requirements. If a game supports Steam Cloud, someone on the team must actually write a save file to the cloud to verify the path correctness; meanwhile, the developer mode for cloud synchronization must be disabled and switched to public mode. The system also automatically checks for empty titles, missing icons, duplicate names, and other configuration errors. Developers are required to explicitly specify which common redistributable components (DirectX, Visual C++, and similar) the game needs, or confirm that it operates without them.
Smart reminders and future plans
Additionally, the system has started displaying smart reminders before submission: if multiple languages are declared on the store page, the developer will be prompted to ensure that all localizations are actually included in the build; if special accounts are needed to test multiplayer, login credentials can be shared in advance with Valve staff. The company explicitly states that these changes are designed to help more games pass review on the first try and to reduce the number of re-reviews driven by basic technical issues. Valve is already working on further process improvements, but for now, the main emphasis is on ensuring developers catch obvious problems themselves before submitting a build.
