Valve makes clear companies can still advertise in games. Those awkward billboards and real-world brand cosmetics are still fine to include, although Steam does stipulate that these must not be “disruptive” and are “appropriate within the context of the game.”

Valve made waves when it updated its Steamworks Documentation now to include a dedicated "Advertising on Steam" page, illuminating its anti-advertising-on-Steam stance— GamingOnLinux proceeded to report on this as a new policy.

Valve has seemingly introduced new rules that ban games that require users to watch paid ads (or rely on other such ad-based revenue models) from Steam. However, some sources report that these rules may have already existed, and that Valve has merely created a dedicated page on Steamworks to clarify this policy.

Valve has implemented new rules around advertising, explicitly prohibiting games that force players to watch in-game

Valve bans advertising-based business models on Steam, prohibiting forced ads and promoting non-intrusive in-game advertising.

In a new update to Steam’s ad policy, Valve incorporates a rule regarding the use of forced ads in games listed on the digital storefront.

Valve has introduced new guidelines to their Steamworks documentation, very clearly outlining a no-tolerance stance on in-game advertising.

Valve has reiterated its stance against exploitative in-game advertising, threatening to ban any game that uses these mechanics.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

Valve have updated the developer guidelines for releasing a game on Steam, making it clear that the scourge of mobile gaming advertising-based business models are not going to work on Steam.

Valve has quietly updated its Steam guidelines to prohibit games that contain obligatory in-game ads. Going forward, games that require players to watch or engage with marketing material are out, as are titles that offer rewards for engaging with ads.