Valve has introduced a new feature on Steam that warns s about an early access title before purchasing it. While this feature has been around since the beginning of February, gamers may not have realized it existed, which is something useful to take a look at when considering purchasing an early-access game.
This new Steam feature takes a bit of the guesswork out of ing an early access title, as fans know that it is easy for a game to just go dark after a few years of early access. With the help of this new addition to game pages, it might just save s a bit of money on a title that has been long abandoned.
Steam now warns about Early Access that have not been updated in months. 🕵️ Tip: SteamDB browser extension shows last update for all games. — SteamDB (@steamdb.info) 2025-02-05T11:54:11+00:00
Steam Now Flags Early Access Titles That May Have Been Left Behind
A Banner Warns Players Of A Title That Has Not Been Worked On For Some Time
This new feature adds a warning banner to the "Early Access" banner that has existed for a while. More so, the banner also mentions that this could mean the original timeline the developers gave for a release after early access is no longer accurate. While most early access titles do end up making their way out of early access and into a 1.0 launch, there are quite a few that never see the light of day.
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With the use of this new warning, it can be easier for s to determine whether their money is going to a good place, as a game that is unfinished and has no sign of making it to the finish line could end up being a money pit. The metrics used to determine the most recent update appear to be similar to the ones used on SteamDB, which would mean that the actual game files would need to be updated (not just the Steam Store page for the game in question) for Valve to count it as an "update" to the title. It is also worth noting that it appears titles need to lay dormant without an update for at least 12 months before Steam triggers this warning banner.
Our Take: This New Steam Warning For Early Access Titles Is A Great Feature
But There Could Be A Few Improvements, According To Steam s
While the warning feature is great to have, as it can potentially stop s from throwing money at a title that will never be finished, fans do believe there are a few slight changes that could make it even more useful. A recent Reddit thread sheds some light on how Steam s feel about this new feature, and while some consider it a "W" for Valve, others have concerns.
Developers could end up using this new system to their advantage by simply re-ing existing game files, which would trick the automatic system into thinking there was a game update made. Others believe that the warning should be triggered after six months rather than 12. While these are changes Valve could end up making down the road, the new addition of the warning banner is definitely a step in the right direction for the Steam platform.
