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Steam changes return policy for games

24/4/2024

Translation: machine translated

Games that you have played for a maximum of two hours can be returned on Steam. For games with pre-release access, in Early or Advanced Access, this timer only counted after release. This is now changing.

On the Steam gaming platform, you have the option of returning games without any questions asked so that you can get your money back. The prerequisite for this is that you must not have played the game for more than two hours and must request a refund within 14 days of purchase. These parameters will not change. Rather, the change closes a loophole that has opened up due to the introduction of Early Access and Advanced Access.

Games with this type of advance access did not count the number of hours played. This meant you could spend many hours in a game before the official release. Only from the official launch did this time count towards the refund. In an announcement, Steam points out that in future all hours played will be taken into account for possible refunds. However, the 14-day period still only begins with the official full version.

In Early Access, developers sometimes offer early versions of games months or years before the full version. On the one hand, this is intended to secure part of the funding during development. On the other hand, they hope to receive feedback on the game. The developers can then work on the game until it is ready for full release. Advanced Access, on the other hand, is granted for expensive premium editions, for example. In some cases, you get access to the game a few days earlier than with the Standard Edition. Even in this short period of often just two to three days, you have been able to play through the game and still get your money back.

These changes affect a large number of games. This year alone, more than 800 games have already been released in Early Access, according to statistics from SteamDB. Last year there were 2103 games.

Header image: Casimiro PT / Shutterstock

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