New Steam Early Access Feature Is a Game-Changer
Steam is introducing a new option allowing early access game developers to publicly list their planned 1.0 launch dates or, alternatively, provide broader timeframes for when their titles are expected to reach feature-complete status. The move marks a notable shift in how the platform handles early access titles and complements another one of Steam’s recently launched features.
Valve has formally allowed early access titles on Steam since March 2013. In the years since, the company has gradually refined its approach through policy updates and new platform features. The latest of these arrived on February 6, when Valve introduced the option for developers to list their planned 1.0 release dates.
10 Best Open-World Games That Left Steam Early Access, Ranked
Steam Early Access is a great way for indie games to expand their audience prior to a full release, something these open-world games succeeded in.
How Steam’s New 1.0 Release Target Feature Works In Practice
The new Steam feature was implemented as a form input that can be found under the “Early Access” tab of an early access game’s “Store Page” editing interface. There, developers can now set a 1.0 release target denoting when their title is planned to leave early access. They can also choose the level of granularity in communicating that timeline to fans, with four options currently available: exact day, month and year, quarter and year, or year only.
Steam’s New ‘Leaving Early Access’ Label Example
Once the 1.0 target date and its level of public granularity are selected, Steam will display the information directly beneath the prominent blue “Early Access Game” box near the top of the game’s store page, just below the media gallery and, in case the user is viewing the store page of a game that they already own, the review prompt. The release target will be labeled with a self-explanatory “Leaving Early Access” tag. If the developer has also filled out Steam’s existing early access form—detailing how the final version will differ, how community feedback will be incorporated, and whether pricing will change post-1.0—that information will appear directly below the “Leaving Early Access” line.
Steam’s Current Granularity Options for 1.0 Release Date Targets
- Show Exact Day
- Show Month and Year Only
- Show Quarter and Year Only
- Show Year Only
Steam’s Latest Feature Was Added by Popular Request
By allowing developers to formalize 1.0 targets directly on store pages, Steam reduces information fragmentation and helps make those pages more informative. In a prepared statement, Valve said the new option was introduced in response to requests from both current and former early access developers. Studios advocating for the feature argued that clearer visibility would help existing owners and prospective buyers better understand the creators’ plans with a given early access project. Valve began seriously considering the addition following the late October 2025 launch of the Steam Personal Calendar, which made it realize that its flashy new UI was missing an entire category of highly relevant and potentially useful data: 1.0 release dates.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
While the newly introduced feature could potentially help improve transparency surrounding early access titles, its overall impact will still hinge on good-faith use and the ability to meet publicly listed targets with some degree of consistency. For instance, a developer could commit to a 1.0 launch date, month, or year, then keep delaying their selection indefinitely. If the displayed window becomes a moving placeholder rather than a credible or realistic commitment, it may do little to clarify expectations and could even intensify backlash compared with the current norm of offering no formal timing at all. With game development being somewhat unpredictable, delays are sometimes unavoidable, but a visible trail of consecutive revisions may still leave players feeling misled, highlighting the trade-off between publishing targets early and managing the disappointment that can follow when those targets keep changing.
Perhaps due to these risks or some other reason, Valve is saying developers shouldn’t feel pressured to use the new feature to communicate their 1.0 release date targets. As one of the company’s representatives phrased it: “When in doubt, wait.”