Valve Closes Steam Refund Loophole, Adds New Advanced Access Label

Valve has updated the Steam refund policy to essentially close a loophole which allowed players to accrue several hours of playtime through advanced access then receive a full refund at launch.

The refund policy now includes a revised “refunds on titles purchased prior to release date” section, which adds an official Advanced Access label and essentially applies Valve’s normal two hour time limit to these games. Advanced Access refers to games which can be played ahead of their official launch, usually by purchasing a special edition at additional cost.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, for example, launched on February 2, 2024 but those who paid an additional $30 for the Deluxe Edition could play it three days earlier. Its this three-day period Steam now brands Advanced Access. 2K’s TopSpin 2K25, whose costlier Deluxe Edition and Grand Slam Edition let owners play ahead of the official April 25 release date, carries this new Advanced Access label.

Previously, those who played a game in Advanced Access could do so for dozens of hours or even complete it, then request a refund from Steam and get all their money back as long as they didn’t play for more than two hours after launch. Steam’s update addresses this loophole as Advanced Access games become more and more popular.

“When you purchase a title on Steam prior to the release date, the two hour playtime limit for refunds will apply (except for beta testing), but the 14-day period for refunds will not start until the release date,” Valve said.

“For example, if you purchase a game that is in Early Access or Advanced Access, any playtime will count against the two-hour refund limit. If you pre-purchase a title which is not playable prior to the release date, you can request a refund at any time prior to release of that title, and the standard 14-day/two-hour refund period will apply starting on the game’s release date.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

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