Steam Early Access is introducing a new option to allow game developers to publicly list their planned 1.0 launch dates or, alternatively, provide a broader timeframe for when their titles are expected to reach feature-complete status. The move marks a significant change in how the platform handles Early Access titles and complements one of Steam's recently launched features.
Valve has officially allowed Early Access titles on Steam since March 2013. Over the years, 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 an option for developers to list their planned 1.0 release dates.
The 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 before full release, which is what these open-world games have become.
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 the Early Access game's “Store Page” editing interface. There, developers can now set a 1.0 release target when their title plans to leave Early Access. They can also choose the level of granularity to communicate that timeline to fans, with four options currently available: exact day, month and year, quarter and year, or year only.
An example of Steam's new 'leaving early access' label
After selecting a 1.0 target date and its level of public granularity, Steam will display information directly below the prominent blue “Early Access Game” box at the top of the game's store page, just below the media gallery and, if the user is viewing the store page of a game they already own, a 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 included, 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
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Show the correct day
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Show month and year only
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Show quarter and year only
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Show year only
Steam's latest feature was added by popular request
By allowing developers to formalize 1.0 goals directly into 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 clear visibility would help existing owners and potential buyers better understand creators' plans with a given Early Access project. Valve began seriously considering additions to the Steam Personal Calendar after the end of October 2025, realizing that its shiny new UI was missing an entire category of highly relevant and potentially useful data: 1.0 release dates.
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The newly introduced feature could potentially help improve transparency around Early Access titles, but its overall impact will still depend on good-faith use and the ability to meet publicly listed goals with some degree of consistency. For example, a developer might commit to a 1.0 launch date, month or year, then keep delaying their selection indefinitely. If the displayed window becomes a dynamic placeholder rather than a credible or realistic commitment, it may do little to clarify expectations and speed up the response compared to the current standard, which offers no formal time. Since game development is somewhat unpredictable, delays are sometimes inevitable, but the visual trail of successive revisions can still leave players feeling confused, highlighting the trade-off between publishing publishing goals early on and managing the frustration that follows when those goals keep changing.
Perhaps because of these risks or for some other reason, Valve is saying that developers should not feel pressured to use the new feature to communicate their 1.0 release date goals. As one of the company's representatives phrased it: “When in doubt, wait.”
