Steam Is Cracking Down On Season Passes

Are you a fan of season passes? They can sometimes offer great value and provide exciting new content for your favorite games. However, sometimes we don’t know just what we’re getting into. You’re investing in the future content of a game and hope that whatever it is that comes out will meet your expectations. Now, Valve is looking to make things more transparent when it comes to season passes on Steam.

Steam is such a behemoth of a digital marketplace, so this new change is very notable. Thanks to the folks over at GamesRadar, we’re learning today about a new policy. This policy concerns season passes and ensuring that consumers know what they are paying for and when they’ll be able to obtain the DLC. For starters, it looks like developers will need to be prepared to explain what the DLC will provide in each season pass.

Steam notes that these new guidelines will force developers to provide a basic description of the content included in each DLC. While developers don’t have to reveal everything, notable details will still be released, such as whether a player will find a new area to explore, weapons, or enemies. That should keep some of the mystery alive as to what content is coming within the DLC while also giving players a better idea of what they are getting.

Additionally, it’s noted that each DLC needs a launch window. This is the expected launch window for the DLC and not a specific release date. Valve understands that sometimes development doesn’t always go to plan, and delays happen. If that’s the case, there is a one-time option to delay the DLC three months from its initially intended launch. Any further delays would have to be requested to Valve directly.

Of course, there are notices that customers can receive refunds due to cancellations or if the content is not released after a year has passed. This will at least keep players protected from, hopefully, buyer’s remorse. You can read the entire policy on season passes right here.