Steam will stop issuing refunds if you play two hours of a game before launch day

1 week ago

Eight years ago, Valve began offering no-questions-asked refunds for immoderate crippled you bargain connected Steam — arsenic agelong arsenic you asked for that refund wrong 14 days of acquisition and hadn’t played much than 2 hours of a game.

But erstwhile Valve started letting you play games up of their merchandise dates pinch its “Early Access” and “Advanced Access” programs, it introduced a loophole: group could play for many, galore hours up of motorboat and still petition a refund after.

Today, Valve’s closing nan loophole: Your Advanced Access and Early Access playtime now counts against nan two-hour refund limit.

Here’s what Valve’s updated refund policy says astir that arsenic of today:

REFUNDS ON TITLES PURCHASED PRIOR TO RELEASE DATE

When you acquisition a title connected Steam anterior to nan merchandise date, nan two-hour playtime limit for refunds will use (except for beta testing), but nan 14-day play for refunds will not commencement until nan merchandise date. For example, if you acquisition a crippled that is in Early Access or Advanced Access, immoderate playtime will count against nan two-hour refund limit. If you pre-purchase a title which is not playable anterior to nan merchandise date, you tin petition a refund astatine immoderate clip anterior to merchandise of that title, and nan modular 14-day/two-hour refund play will use starting connected nan game’s merchandise date.

Compare to earlier this month:

REFUNDS ON PRE-PURCHASED TITLES

When you pre-purchase a title connected Steam (and person paid for nan title successful advance), you tin petition a refund astatine immoderate clip anterior to merchandise of that title. The modular 14-day/two-hour refund play besides applies, starting connected nan game’s merchandise date.

Simple enough!