Steam Refund Policy Tightens: All Playtime Counts Towards Two-Hour Limit

Valve has revised its Steam refund policy to address a loophole regarding pre-purchased titles with "Advanced Access." The update now stipulates that the time spent playing a game during its early access period will count towards the standard two-hour playtime threshold for eligibility for a refund. This adjustment aims to prevent the exploitation of the previous policy where gamers could engage extensively with a game during its advanced access period and then claim a full refund upon the game's official release.

Under the old system, players were able to play an early access game for up to three days and for extensive hours without it affecting their ability to refund the game. Reports indicated that users could accumulate between 30 to 50 hours of gameplay before requesting a refund, which was permissible as long as it was done within 14 days of the game's release and within the two-hour playtime window that previously didn't account for early access.

The policy shift was made to ensure that the two-hour playtime limit and the 14-day refund period begin from the game's official release date. This change is intended to align the early access titles' refund conditions with those of the games purchased post-release. Valve's update serves to close the gap that allowed players to potentially misuse the refund system while maintaining the flexibility for legitimate refunds within the established parameters.