Steam Will Now Warn You Before You Buy An ‘Abandoned’ Game

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Steam, managed by Valve, has introduced a fresh update to its interface. This upgrade now provides users with a notification showing how long it’s been since an early-access game was last updated. The aim of this new feature is to shield gamers from investing in games that might no longer be actively developed (abandoned), or from purchasing ones that may not accurately reflect the information provided on the store page.

The boundary or threshold at which this label becomes visible isn’t clear-cut, since not all early-access games display it. Instead, most provide a standard breakdown that includes comments from the developers explaining why the game was launched in its current early-access form.

Transparency Update

One of the saddest discoveries a gamer can make is pouring resources into a game still in development, which initially sparks enthusiasm, but later learns that the developer hasn’t worked on it for years. Regrettably, this scenario occurs with certain early-access games on Steam that linger unchanged for an extended period following their release on the digital platform.

In a recent update, Valve has introduced a feature that alerts users if it’s been a significant amount of time, like several months or so, since the game received its most recent major update. This new aspect was spotlighted on social media platforms by SteamDB.

For example, Heartbound, initially launched in 2018 and still in early access, has not received an update for over a year now. Initially well-received by the PC gaming community, the game’s review rating has since slipped to “Mostly Negative” due to a dearth of updates.

A game named ATLAS offers players a daring pirate experience across vast oceans. Upon initial inspection, it appears promising, yet it has received mixed feedback with approximately 36,000 reviews combined. Interestingly, it was launched in 2018, but there have been no updates for over 20 months now.

Many games initially available as early-access titles eventually transition into fully-fledged releases, debuting with version 1.0 that often includes numerous enhancements and additional features. A notable example is Sons of the Forest, which first appeared in early access in February 2023, later graduating to a full release a year after, achieving success once more.

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2025-02-06 01:17