Valve, the company behind the popular gaming platform Steam, is implementing new rules to protect players when it comes to purchasing DLC (Downloadable Content) and season passes.
In the past, many gamers have pre-ordered DLC content, paying for content that may not be delivered for a long time, if ever. With the new guidelines, companies selling DLC and season passes on Steam will be required to provide more transparency regarding what is included in the content and expected release dates. If there are any delays, players may be eligible for a partial refund.
The guidelines state that by offering a Season Pass, companies are promising future content, and they must commit to a launch timing for each content release in the Season Pass. Companies will only be allowed to reschedule DLC and season pass release timing once. If they are not able to clearly communicate about the content included in each DLC and when it will be ready for launch, they should not offer a Season Pass on Steam.
Additionally, season passes must include at least one piece of content that is already accessible at launch, unless it is for a game that has not been released yet. If there are any violations of the new rules, Steam reserves the right to auto-refund players, even if there are no customer complaints. If any DLC is cancelled, players will receive a refund for the value of the unreleased DLC.
These new rules may make the sections on Steam store pages listing all of the microtransactions included in a game more chaotic, but they aim to incentivize companies to be more careful about what they promise and charge for. It is a step towards protecting players and ensuring that they get what they pay for when purchasing DLC and season passes on Steam. Players can now feel more confident when pre-ordering content, knowing that there are measures in place to protect their interests.
