Valve has officially updated its Steam policy, banning games that force players to view or interact with advertisements to continue playing. This move further underscores Steam's stance against intrusive mobile ad practices and ensures that the PC gaming experience remains quality and uninterrupted.

Though this is not an entirely new rule. Steam's terms of use have long prohibited developers from using paid advertising in games as a business model. However, the company has decided to highlight this issue more prominently. Why is this? It's not entirely clear, as games with such a concept have probably not been seen on Steam. However, if Valve has taken this up, there were likely precedents. Some users refer to the recent words of EA's CEO regarding the introduction of ads in AAA games.

The ban on ads in games means that projects that force players to watch ads before continuing the game or offer in-game rewards for interacting with ad content can no longer be released on the platform. Developers whose games rely on such a monetization model must remove these mechanics to get approval for publishing on Steam.

"If your game's revenue depends on advertising on other platforms, you need to find a new monetization model to release the game on Steam," Valve stated in its updated pricing guidelines. Instead, developers are offered alternative sources of income, such as one-time purchases, microtransactions, or downloadable content (DLC).

While forced advertising is now banned, Steam still allows brand placements and cross-promotions, provided they do not disrupt gameplay and are appropriate in the game's context. This means that brand integration, such as sponsor logos on racing cars or real branded costumes in sports games, remains permissible as long as it does not interfere with gameplay.

The updated policy was met positively by the gaming community, who have long criticized mobile games for obtrusive ad inserts. Many view Valve's decision as protection against aggressive monetization methods penetrating PC games.

Apart from changes in the advertising policy, Steam has also implemented a new transparency feature for early access games. Players can now see how much time has passed since the last game update, allowing them to better assess its development.

Gaming industry analysts suggest that Valve's tough stance may influence other platforms, prompting them to review their advertising rules. Despite mobile gaming continuing to flourish thanks to ad revenue models, Steam's commitment to ad-free gameplay further strengthens its reputation as a player-focused platform.

With this latest policy update, Valve once again confirms its status as a leader in the PC gaming industry, ensuring that Steam remains a quality marketplace without the intrusive advertising practices that have become the norm in mobile games.