Valve’s refund policy has always been known for its leniency, allowing players to request refunds for digitally purchased games within 14 days and with less than two hours of playtime. However, this policy did not extend to early and advanced access programs, which allowed players to play games ahead of their release date and request refunds after extended playtime. This loophole, which became popular among players, has now been closed by Valve.
Effective April 24th, the refund policy for early and advanced access games has been revised. Players now have a strict two-hour playtime limit before becoming ineligible for a refund. This ensures that players have a reasonable amount of time to evaluate the game and determine if it meets their expectations.
Valve emphasizes that the revised policy is intended to promote fairness for both players and developers. Early and advanced access games are often still in development, and Valve believes that players should not form definitive opinions until the final version is released. This approach ensures that games are evaluated based on their complete state rather than on an incomplete version.
Despite the changes to the early and advanced access refund policy, the standard 14-day/two-hour refund period will still apply starting on the game’s release date. Valve remains committed to its lenient refund policy, understanding that players may have various reasons for requesting refunds, such as dissatisfaction with the content or accidental purchases. As such, players can still request refunds within the standard timeframe for any reason, whether it be because they did not enjoy the game or made an unplanned purchase.
