Valve has introduced a new feature for those exploring Steam’s Early Access platform, making it easier to see if a game hasn’t received updates in over a year.
The update, noticed by SteamDB, manifests as a warning that appears prominently in the Early Access developer Q&A section. This alert informs consumers of the last update date for the game they’re interested in.
Additionally, Valve has refined its Steamworks documentation to clarify this update. According to Valve, “If it’s been more than 12 months since game developers have issued an update or posted an update-type event that informs players about the game’s progress, Steam will display a note on the store page. This will be positioned right above the Developer Questionnaire to indicate that the game hasn’t seen updates for a while.”
The notice is triggered under two conditions: if more than 12 months have passed since a game build was assigned to the ‘default’ branch in Steamworks, or similarly, if it’s been over a year since a developer has communicated any update-type event to players. This includes significant updates, regular updates, or even patch notes.
Early Access has long had a mix of titles, with some unfortunately being left in the dust by their developers. This move by Valve aims to bring clarity and transparency to an area where confusion often reigns, helping players make more informed decisions about their purchases.
