Valve Releases New Guidelines for Selling Season Passes on Steam

Valve, a major player in the PC gaming universe, has just rolled out some fresh guidelines regarding the sale of season passes on Steam.

According to the updated guidelines on Steamworks, game developers and publishers now need to set a clear release date for new content, like season passes, when promoting it on a game’s store page. If they can’t “clearly communicate” when this content will be available, Valve insists they should refrain from selling or taking pre-orders for it.

There’s a bit of flexibility, though. Developers and publishers can opt to use a broad release window—such as detailing the quarter, year, or even season—or go for a more specific date for when the content is expected to drop.

As Valve explains, “When you offer a Season Pass, it comes with the commitment of delivering future content.” They further emphasize that during the launch of a Season Pass, developers will need to set a timeline for each content release covered under that pass. This timeline isn’t just a vague idea but a promise made to both customers and the Steam platform itself.

Valve makes it clear: “If you can’t accurately outline what content will be part of each DLC and pinpoint when each DLC will be good to go, then it’s best not to offer a Season Pass on Steam.”