In 2015, Valve introduced the ability to return games without specific reasons on Steam. So if you don’t like a game, you can simply return it. However, now Steam is planning some changes to its return policy.
Source: Photo by Mateo on Unsplash
The previous return conditions stipulated a total period of 14 days within which a game with a playing time of up to two hours could be returned. This allowed players to try out the game and decide whether they like it or not. But with the increasing number of “Early Access” or “Advanced Access” games, Valve created a kind of loophole. This meant that players could spend significantly more than two hours in a game before it was even released. Because the counting playing time only applied from the official launch of the game.
Apparently some people have discovered this loophole and have increasingly used it. Today, Valve announced that it is now closing this loophole and is changing its return policy. From now on, the two hours of playing time also apply to the time when Early Access and Advanced Access games are purchased.
Steam says: “If you purchase a title before its release date on Steam, refunds generally have a maximum playtime limit of two hours. The 14-day refund period only begins on the full release date. If you e.g. B. buy a game that is in the Early Access oder Advanced Access each game time will count toward the two-hour refund limit. If you pre-order a title that is not playable before the release date, you can request a refund at any time before that title is released. The standard 14 day/two hour refund period begins on the game release date.
Quelle: Valve/The Verge