THE Valve just changed their refund policy Steam, to close a loophole previously exploited by some users, especially those who had pre-purchased games with “Advanced Access”.
Unlike “Early Access”, which allows players to purchase and play incomplete versions of games, “Advanced Access” allows customers who have pre-ordered games to start playing even before the official release date. Previously, Valve didn’t start counting the allowed two hours of gameplay, which is the refund window, until the official release date. This was exactly the loophole that allowed players to even enjoy an entire game thanks to early access, then get their money back once that game was released.
In an announcement posted today on the Steam blog, Valve highlighted that it has addressed this issue, clarifying that play time during the “Advanced Access” period will now normally be included in the calculation for the standard refund option. This means that if a game is played for more than two hours during this period, it is no longer eligible for a refund after its official release, regardless of the total playtime after release.
This change is intended to protect developers, especially those creating shorter games and independent studios.
