Valve Just Shut the Door on Ad-Based Games on Steam—And Gamers Are Loving It

Valve has officially clamped down on games that make players watch ads just to play—a move that has left many gamers cheering and some developers scrambling.

While this might seem like a new policy, some reports suggest that Valve has actually had this rule in place for years but only recently made it loud and clear with an updated Steamworks page. Either way, if your game locks content behind ads, it’s not welcome on Steam anymore.

For those who have ever downloaded a game only to be slammed with an ad before even pressing Start, this feels like a huge win. But what exactly does Valve’s new statement mean, and why did they decide to make it official now?

Valve’s Clear Stance: No Ads, No Exceptions

Steam has always been known for giving gamers what they want—good games, no-nonsense. But in recent years, some games have pushed the limits, borrowing free-to-play mobile tactics that force players to watch ads to continue gameplay.

That’s where Valve drew the line.

A new Steamworks policy page explicitly states:

“Developers should not utilize paid advertising as a business model in their game, such as requiring players to watch or otherwise engage with advertising in order to play, or gating gameplay behind advertising.”

Translation? If a game makes you watch ads just to play, Steam doesn’t want it. The rule also makes it clear that giving in-game rewards for watching ads is a no-go. So, those “watch this ad to get 50 gold coins” mechanics? Also banned. This isn’t just a recommendation—it’s a flat-out restriction.

Was This Always the Rule? Maybe. But Now It’s Unavoidable.

The big debate around this policy is whether Valve just implemented it or simply clarified something that was already in place. Some reports suggest that these rules have been in effect for years, but only buried in less visible sections of Steam’s policies.

However, SteamDB posted screencaps showing that this policy has been around for at least five years. The key difference now? Valve has put it front and centre. Developers can’t pretend they didn’t know about it anymore.

Why Now? Early Access Changes Might Be Part of It

The crackdown on ad-based games comes just as Valve introduced another big change—warnings for Early Access games that haven’t been updated in over a year.

With hundreds of abandoned games floating around on Steam, this move is meant to alert players when a game might be dead in the water. It’s part of a bigger push to make Steam a more transparent platform, ensuring that players aren’t misled or exploited—whether through false promises or intrusive ad-based monetization.

Gamers Are Thrilled—Developers? Not So Much.

For most Steam players, this decision is a massive win.

• No more surprise ads in games.
• No more “watch this ad to continue” nonsense.
• No more free-to-play gimmicks creeping into paid PC games.

But for some developers, especially those who rely on ad-based revenue models, this is a major setback.

• Some smaller indie studios might be affected.
• Mobile-first developers looking to port games to Steam will need to rethink their strategies.
• Anyone hoping to “cash in” on ad-driven revenue will have to look elsewhere.

That said, most PC gamers never wanted ads in the first place. Unlike mobile gaming, where ads have become an unfortunate norm, PC gaming has always been about pay once, play forever (or at least, until the next update). Valve is just keeping things that way.

With this firm stance on ads, it’s clear that Valve is doubling down on quality control. Could this lead to even more restrictions on predatory monetization practices? Possibly. For now, though, gamers can breathe easy knowing that their next Steam purchase won’t suddenly turn into an ad-watching simulator. And if a game tries? Steam just made sure it won’t be sticking around for long.