steam Introduces a new option that allows early access game developers to publicly list their planned 1.0 release date or provide a broader time frame for when they expect their title to reach feature-complete status. The move marks a notable change in the way the platform handles early access titles and complements another one of the features Steam recently launched.
Valve has officially allowed early access titles on Steam since March 2013. In the years since, the company has gradually refined its approach through policy updates and new platform features. The latest of these arrived on February 6th, when Valve introduced an option for developers to list a planned 1.0 release date.
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How Steam's new 1.0 release goals feature works in practice
The new Steam feature is implemented as a form input that can be found in the “Early Access” tab of an Early Access game's “Store Page” editing interface. Developers can now set a 1.0 release goal that indicates when their title will exit Early Access. You can also choose the level of detail when communicating that timeline to your fans, with four options currently available: Exact Day, Month and Year, Quarter and Year, or Year Only.
Steam's new 'End of Early Access' label example
Once the 1.0 target date and disclosure detail level are selected, Steam will display the information in the media gallery, just below the prominent blue “Early Access Games” box near the top of the game's store page, and display a review prompt if the user is viewing the store page for a game they already own. Release targets are marked with a self-explanatory “End of Early Access” tag. If a developer has filled out Steam's existing Early Access form (what the final version will differ from, how community feedback will be incorporated, whether prices will change after 1.0, etc.), that information will appear just below the “Early Access Ends” line.
Steam's current granularity options for 1.0 release date goals
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Accurate day display
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Show only month and year
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Show quarter and year only
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Show only years
Steam's latest features have been added by popular demand
By allowing developers to formulate 1.0 targets directly on their store pages, Steam helps reduce information fragmentation and make those pages more informative. In a prepared statement, Valve said the new option was introduced in response to requests from current and former early access developers. Studios defending the feature argued that clearer visibility would help existing owners and potential buyers better understand creators' plans for specific early access projects. Valve is starting to seriously consider additions following the launch of Steam Personal Calendar in late October 2025. As a result, we realized that our fancy new UI was missing a whole category of relevant and potentially useful data: the 1.0 release date.
Rearranges covers into correct US release order.
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Rearranges covers into correct US release order.
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While the newly introduced features could potentially help improve transparency around early access titles, their overall impact will still depend on good faith use and the ability to meet publicly listed goals with some consistency. For example, a developer might promise a 1.0 release date, month, or year, and then postpone selection indefinitely. If the window shown is a moving placeholder rather than a credible or realistic promise, it may do little to clarify expectations and may even deepen the backlash compared to the current standard, which does not provide formal timing at all. Game development is somewhat unpredictable, so delays are sometimes inevitable, but any visible traces of successive revisions can still be misleading to players, prematurely highlighting the balance between publishing targets, and managing the disappointment that can follow when those goals keep changing.
Perhaps because of this risk or other reasons, Valve says developers shouldn't feel pressured to use new features to deliver on the 1.0 release date goal. “When in doubt, wait,” said one of the company’s representatives.
