SteamGUIDE

Steam Early Access: the rules, pricing and 1.0

29 Oct 2026 · 8 min read

Early Access lets you sell a game on Steam while you are still building it, and tells buyers to treat it as unfinished. It comes with seven rules, a questionnaire on your store page and some price limits that are easy to trip over at 1.0. This guide covers all of them from Valve's Early Access documentation, checked 29 Oct 2026.

What Early Access is, and is not

Valve says Early Access is for games in a playable alpha or beta state, worth the price of the build you are selling today, that you plan to keep developing to release. Three things it is not:

▪Not crowdfunding. Valve says you should not use Early Access solely to fund development. If you need a certain number of sales to finish, ask what you would do if they do not come.

▪Not a pre-purchase. Early Access delivers a playable game at the moment of purchase. A pre-purchase is delivered later.

▪Not Advance Access. What other platforms often call "early access" is a pre-purchase perk, where Deluxe buyers get in before Standard ones. Steam Early Access is a different thing.

Valve's seven rules

▪Brand it everywhere you sell keys. On any third-party site that sells Steam keys for the game, show Steam Early Access branding, current information on the game's state and a link to the Steam Early Access FAQ. Valve says you should also include a copy of your Early Access questionnaire.

▪Make no specific promises. Not when or whether the game will be finished, and not that planned features will arrive. Customers should buy it for what it is today.

▪Steam is never later. The game must be available through Steam, and not offered on Steam any later than anywhere else.

▪Steam is never pricier. The Early Access price should be no higher than on any other store or website.

▪Set expectations up front. If an update will break save files, say so on the store page and wherever you sell keys.

▪Launch with a playable game. A tech demo with little gameplay or an untested concept is, in Valve's words, probably too early; give keys to a few fans first. At a bare minimum you need a trailer that shows gameplay.

▪Do not use it once the game is done. If all you need is final bug testing, send keys to fans or test internally. Valve says Early Access is a place where customers can affect the final game.

The trailer is the floor. Rule 6 is the only hard asset minimum in the doc: a video trailer that shows gameplay. The rest of the store page asset list is in the store page checklist.

Sources: Early Access: rules and guidelines. Checked 29 Oct 2026. Valve updates these pages; the Steamworks docs always win.

The Early Access questionnaire

Every Early Access store page carries a short Q&A that you write. Valve calls its own answers guidelines; above all it asks you to be detailed and transparent. The six questions:

▪Why Early Access?

▪Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

▪How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

▪What is the current state of the Early Access version?

▪Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

▪How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

Some of Valve's pointers: on duration, be as specific as you can, and if you have no target date range, explain why. On the current state, list the modes, features and levels, and expect to update the answer every few weeks or months. On pricing, Valve says there is no rule or official best practice; many developers raised the price at 1.0 and many lowered it, and the aim is to reward early supporters. In its words, Early Access is a marathon, not a sprint.

How to turn it on

▪Before the game releases, tick the Early Access checkbox on the Early Access tab of the store page configuration.

▪Complete the Early Access questionnaire on the same tab.

▪Once Valve has reviewed the page and the questionnaire, you may release in Early Access.

▪Already have a Coming Soon page? You can enable Early Access yourself, but the store page must be reviewed again before release.

Keeping the page current

You can stay in Early Access as long as you need, but the page should always reflect the current state and your latest plans for 1.0. Valve asks you to revisit it at least once a year, to update the questionnaire from Edit Store Page, Early Access tab ("Don't forget to save and publish!"), and to consider a News Event for a big update or an unexpected delay.

The same tab has a date picker for a planned 1.0 release, either an exact date or a vaguer timeframe. Once published it shows in the Early Access description and in players' personal calendar of upcoming games.

The 12-month notice. If more than 12 months pass without a build set live on the default branch, or without an update type event (Major Update, Regular Update or Patch Notes), Steam adds a note above the developer questionnaire saying the game has not been updated in a while. It is a note, not a delisting.

Pricing and discounts

Valve says most developers start below their target launch price and raise it as content and polish grow; some start higher to reach a smaller group of dedicated fans. The limits:

▪No permanent discount while in Early Access. To sell for less, set a lower base price.

▪No discount within 30 days after a price increase, and that includes the launch discount when you leave Early Access.

▪After 1.0 you may raise the price, but then wait at least 30 days before another price change or a discount. A price increase within 30 days of the transition cancels the launch discount.

If you want both a 1.0 discount and a higher price, Valve lists three orders that work:

▪Keep the price, run a discount at 1.0, and raise the price later.

▪Raise the price at 1.0 and run no discount.

▪Raise the price more than 30 days before 1.0, then run a discount at 1.0.

Leaving Early Access

You may switch to a full release when the game is feature complete and no longer changing significantly. You can keep adding content and fixing bugs afterwards, but buyers will now expect a stable, complete game.

▪Upload and publish the updated build.

▪Click View Release Options on the landing page.

▪Press Release. That updates the release date, removes the Early Access branding and applies any launch discount you set.

▪Post a Community Hub announcement, as Valve recommends. Wishlisters get an automatic email when the game moves to released.

Visibility, and what you cannot undo

Early Access games can run discounts, be featured in promotions and be recommended organically, but they do not get full launch visibility until the full release. At the Early Access launch the game is listed in All New Releases on the Early Access tab and wishlisters get an email. Valve says it may also be recommended on the home page by taste, may appear in New and Trending on the Early Access page if it does well, and can reach top sellers and genre or tag pages once it has a sales rank. How to plan the free rounds across both releases is in Steam visibility rounds.

▪An unreleased Early Access game can be listed as Coming Soon, but it cannot be on sale in Early Access and Coming Soon at the same time.

▪Once released in Early Access, you cannot go back to Coming Soon. For a build you may want to take down, Valve points to a Steam Playtest.

▪A released game cannot move back to Early Access. Use a pinned Community Hub post or the About The Game section instead.

▪If you cannot finish, contact Valve. You can keep the game on sale but take it out of Early Access, which removes the tag and the questionnaire, gives no launch visibility and is permanent. Or you can retire it: Valve will not republish it later and may offer refunds to buyers.

Sources: Early Access: rules and guidelines. Checked 29 Oct 2026. Valve updates these pages; the Steamworks docs always win.

Where a broadcast fits

An Early Access store page has to sell what the game is today, which is exactly what Rule 6's gameplay trailer is for. A live broadcast on the page goes one step further and shows the current build moving, every hour of the day, and it is easy to refresh after each big update. Ideas for what to put on it are in what to show in a Steam broadcast. Loopcast keeps a store page broadcast running from an uploaded video, billed per minute on air. You can try it free for 7 days, no card needed.

FAQ

Can I use Steam Early Access to fund development?

Not as the only plan. Valve says Early Access is not a way to crowdfund development and you should not use it solely to fund it. Think about whether you would keep going if you sold fewer copies than you need.

Is Steam Early Access the same as a pre-purchase?

No. An Early Access game must deliver a playable game when someone buys it. A pre-purchase is delivered at a future date. It is also not Advance Access, where a Deluxe package lets pre-purchasers in earlier.

Can I put a permanent discount on my Early Access game?

No. Valve says you may not run a permanent discount while in Early Access. If you want a lower price, set a lower base price.

What happens if my Early Access game is not updated for a year?

Steam adds a note to the store page, above the developer questionnaire, saying the game has not been updated in a while. It appears after more than 12 months without a build set live on the default branch, or without an update type event.

Can I go back to Coming Soon after releasing in Early Access?

No. Once released in Early Access you cannot take the game down and return to Coming Soon. Valve points to a Steam Playtest if you want a build you can take down later.

Keep going

MarketingSteam visibility roundsFive free front-page rounds, and what the algorithm ignores.GuideSteam wishlist notificationsWhen Steam emails your wishlisters, and the rules.GuideSteam Playtest vs demoWhich one you need, and for which event.ChecklistSteam launch checklistComing Soon page to release day and the first sale.

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