Steam’s Refund Policy Now Counts "Advanced Access" As Part Of The Time Played

Well, this is news Steam players likely weren’t expecting to get. Remember that refund policy? Well, it’s been updated. Valve dropped a quick notice on the Steam Community site, specifying a change to the policy that includes ‘titles that are in pre-purchase and offer “Advanced Access”. The new "Advanced Access" label is different from "Early Access". Advanced Access is when a game's devs offer a package for sale that includes the ability to play the game before the game's actual launch date.

However, in the Steam notice, early access is also mentioned, "When you purchase a title on Steam prior to the release date, the two-hour playtime limit for refunds will apply (except for beta testing), but the 14-day period for refunds will not start until the release date. For example, if you purchase a game that is in Early Access or Advanced Access, any playtime will count against the two-hour refund limit. If you pre-purchase a title which is not playable prior to the release date, you can request a refund at any time prior to release of that title, and the standard 14-day/two-hour refund period will apply starting on the game’s release date."

Going forward playtime accumulated during this period counts toward the refund period. This means that players will now be making their decision to ask for a refund based on what is technically an unfinished game.

It’s worth noting that players didn’t have that much time to work with to begin with as the policy specifies that players can only have played for two hours and must request their refund within two weeks of purchase. As is the case with many early access games, the pre-launch period may be longer than the 2 week refund policy.

Obviously, with this change, it’s probably best for players to wait until a game is officially launched to make the purchase. Particularly if they think there’s a chance they may want a refund.