Indie developers report that Steam's approval process has slowed dramatically in recent weeks, forcing several games to miss their planned release windows. Valve normally guarantees a 3-5 day review period, with developers advised to submit seven business days before launch. Instead, multiple creators say their games have waited two to three weeks or longer for approval.
Caravarn Carnage: Fruity Road submitted on October 16 and was approved November 1, after 16 days. Ashen Legacy waited over two weeks following a rejection. Lacey's Flash Games launched four days late. Wheel Make It faced a three-week delay after Valve rejected it for not understanding how to access local co-op features. Cubic Earth has no known launch window. Food Devils, from nine-person Studio Daimon based in Italy, was submitted October 12 for a planned November release and remains unapproved. Director Alfred Kamon said the team worked through weekends to prepare and filed a support ticket on October 24. Valve raised concerns about sexual content on October 26, but after Kamon responded, no reply came for seven days.
Kamon explained that the studio needs sales revenue before year-end because Steam pays on a one-month delay. Delaying into December is not viable, as GTA 6 launches then alongside other major releases. Moving the game earlier was not possible either; the team had shifted from November 5 to avoid The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Valve acknowledged in a blog post that it has seen "a significant increase in submissions for store page and build review in recent months," with reviews now taking "up to 12 business days." The company attributed delays partly to re-reviewing games that fail initial submission checks. Many developers theorize that AI-generated games are driving the surge. Steam has released more games in 2026 through mid-October than in all of 2025, with roughly 4,000 releases in October alone.