Steam major updates: announce, ship and get seen
29 Oct 2026 · 7 min read
A big update is a second launch you control: players come back, new ones look, and Steam has tools to show it off. This guide covers Valve's process for a major update, the Major Update event, how to test and ship the build, and the store tools to pair it with, from Valve's updates best practices and Major Update event docs, checked 29 Oct 2026.
Why updates matter
Valve says updates can grow your user base and deepen engagement, whatever kind of game you make. Every update, big or small, is a way of talking to players: it shows you listen. For a bug report, Valve says there is no better answer than fixing it as quickly as is reasonable.
Ship updates through Steam. Valve asks that you do not make players download content inside the game after launch; players expect the game and its updates to come through the Steam client. You can update as often as you need, but anyone with the game installed has to download each one before playing again, so be considerate with large updates.
Valve's process for a major update
For its own games, Valve found major updates work best every 1 to 2 months at most, which leaves time to build something exciting and to tease it. It says your approach may vary. Its sample process:
Valve says all of this works for any game, regardless of genre or team size. It also highly recommends that the people building the content see player feedback directly, as part of the team's role, rather than leaving it all to a community manager.
DLC or base game? Free content: put it in the base game, so nobody has to press a separate download button. Small paid items: in-game purchases through the Steam Inventory Service and Steam Microtransactions. Large paid content such as maps, modes or an expansion: DLC, which installs separately and gets its own store presence.
Sources: Updating your game: best practices. Checked 29 Oct 2026. Valve updates these pages; the Steamworks docs always win.
The Major Update event
Steam's event tools have three levels of update: Patch Notes, Regular Updates and Major Updates. Major Updates are for your biggest updates, the ones Valve describes as among the biggest moments of the year for your game. Post one from your app landing page in Steamworks: Post/Manage Events & Announcements, then A Game Update, then Major Update.
What's New is not guaranteed for every player. Valve says it varies with which games they play, how recently and how much, and their personalization settings.
What the event needs
After you submit a build through SteamPipe, Steamworks prompts you to post patch notes inline; a bullet list of changes is common. You can also write them later in the event editor.
Sources: Event type: Major Update. Checked 29 Oct 2026. Valve updates these pages; the Steamworks docs always win.
Test, then ship
Store tools to pair with it
Where a broadcast fits
Every one of these tools sends people to your store page. A live broadcast there can show the new content moving the moment they land, without you streaming by hand all week. Loopcast keeps a store page broadcast running from an uploaded video, billed per minute on air, and the broadcast event guide covers pairing it with an event. You can try it free for 7 days, no card needed.
FAQ
How often should I release a major update on Steam?
Valve says that for its own games, major updates work best every 1 to 2 months at most, which leaves time to build something exciting and tease it. Your own pace may vary. Smaller fixes can ship whenever you need.
What is the difference between a Major Update and a Regular Update event?
Steam has three levels of update event: Patch Notes, Regular Updates and Major Updates. Major Updates are for your biggest updates and can qualify for the What's New section at the top of the Steam Library.
What images does a Major Update event need?
A cover image of 800 x 450 px is required. A header image 1920 px wide by 622 px is optional. A title and a description are required too.
How do I get my update on the Steam store front page?
Use an Update Visibility Round. You first post a community announcement with details of the update; the round can then show it in the Recently Updated section of the store home page.
Should new content be DLC or part of the base game?
Valve suggests free content goes into the base game, small paid items through in-game purchases, and large paid content such as an expansion as DLC with its own store page.