While there is some debate on whether or not Valve has always had rules against paid advertising, the company has made one thing loud and clear: games that require players to watch paid advertising are now banned on Steam.
This also applies to video games that rely on other ad-based revenue models. Valve has likewise reminded developers that they are not allowed to use ads to provide added value to players enjoying their games.
Valve Clarifies Policy
To avoid any miscommunication and confusion, Valve has added a page to Steamworks that clarifies its policy against paid advertising.
According to GameSpot, Valve said that "Developers should not utilize paid advertising as a business model in their game, such as requiring players to watch or otherwise engage with advertising in order to play, or gating gameplay behind advertising."
"If your game's business model relies on advertising on other platforms, you will need to remove those elements before shipping on Steam," the company added.
Supported Advertising on Steam
Despite their strong stance on video games using paid advertising as a business model, there are certain kinds of advertising that Valve does allow.
According to the dedicated page on Steamworks, product placement is allowed provided that "such portrayals are not disruptive and are appropriate within the context of the game."
In addition, developers also have the permission to hold cross-promotional events on Steam. These include bundles and sale events that involve products both inside and outside of the platform.
As for paid advertising, developers can run such campaigns provided that they take place outside of Steam.
