Hey gamers, big news from Steam has just hit! If you’ve been around the block a few times with Steam games, you’re probably familiar with the basics of their refund policy. To get a refund, the rules were pretty straightforward: don’t own the game for more than 14 days and play it for less than two hours. Simple, right?
However, there’s been a twist in the tale with the introduction of Advanced Access, which is different from the usual Early Access. Let me break it down: Early Access lets you buy and play games still in development, getting all the updates as they come. Advanced Access, on the other hand, is like a VIP pass. It often comes with deluxe editions or as a pre-purchase bonus, letting you play the game before its official release date.
Here’s the scoop: until now, any hours you clocked during Advanced Access didn’t count towards the two-hour limit. This meant some clever players could enjoy more playtime and still bag a refund if they decided they weren’t into the game.
But as of April 24th, Steam has closed this loophole. According to their latest blog post, any time spent playing during Advanced Access now counts towards your total playtime. So, if you’re thinking about using this perk, you’ll need to watch the clock if you want to keep that refund option open.
How Does This Affect You?
Let’s paint a picture. If you’re someone who doesn’t usually opt for pre-purchases or special editions, this change probably won’t affect you much. But if you’re the type who jumps at the chance to get early access to games, this is big news. You’ll need to be more mindful of how long you play during the Advanced Access period, especially if you’re on the fence about keeping the game.
This change could be a bit frustrating for gamers who encounter bugs and server issues during these early play periods—common teething problems for new launches. Although it might deter some from pre-ordering, especially if you’ve been burned by lackluster game launches before (haven’t we all?).
As a gamer who prefers to wait until after a game’s launch to avoid these issues, I see this as another reason to be cautious about pre-ordering. However, for many, the lure of playing a game before everyone else is still tempting.
So, if you love getting early dibs on games, just remember this new policy change next time you’re about to hit that pre-purchase button. Happy gaming, and play wisely!
