Valve updates guidelines for season passes on Steam

Valve has updated its guidelines for season passes, including new rules regarding release schedules.

As listed on Steamworks, developers and publishers must commit to a release date for season pass content.

It suggests if a developer is not “ready to clearly communicate” about launch timing, then a season pass shouldn’t be offered on the platform.

Valve also stipulates that each piece of content in a season pass must have a detailed description of what’s included.

For those ready to offer a season pass, release schedules can be detailed by quarter and year (such as January to March 2025), season, or precise dates.

A release date can only be rescheduled once if there is a delay, and so long as that date is “up to three months later than originally selected.”

If the content within a season pass is cancelled, a refund must be offered to customers “for the value of that individual piece of content.”

This can also apply to DLC that is delayed by more than three months. If content is delayed beyond that timeframe, Valve warned that actions will be taken, including removing the season pass from sale, refunding all customers for the value of the DLC, or allowing customers to refund the entire season pass.