Publish a game on Steam

Path from zero to live under Steam Direct: partner paperwork, the $100 app fee, mandatory timing gates, store + build review, required assets, costs, and content Valve will not ship. Sourced from official Steamworks docs (checked 2026-09-09).

$100Steam Direct fee / app

30 daysMin wait after fee

14 daysComing Soon minimum

70 / 30Typical revenue split

Bottom line

Minimum legal path from fee payment to release is about 30 days (fee wait + Coming Soon can overlap once the page is approved). Realistic first-time studio timeline is closer to 6–10 weeks if you rush, or 3–6 months if you want wishlists. You press Release yourself — Valve does not auto-ship approved titles.

1. Onboard as a Steamworks partner

Start at partner.steamgames.com/steamdirect. You electronically sign the NDA and Steam Distribution Agreement, then finish identity, bank, and tax setup so Valve can pay you.

You need	Details
Legal identity	Legal first + last name. Company Legal Name must match bank/tax docs — no DBA or friendly name. Individuals use Sole Proprietorship + own legal name.
Bank account	Routing number, account number, bank address. Account holder name must match the Legal Company Name you entered.
Tax interview	US: W-9 style info. Treaty countries: W-8BEN style. Verified by a third party — typically 2–7 business days; recently issued tax IDs can take longer. Watch email for doc requests.
Company form	e.g. “A Washington State corporation”, “A Sole Proprietorship”, “A Quebec limited liability partnership”.

2. Pay the Steam Direct fee

$100 USD (or local equivalent) per product / app — not per partner account.
Pay with any Steam-supported method in your region except Steam Wallet.
Fee is not refundable, but is recoupable after the product earns $1,000 Adjusted Gross Revenue (store + IAP). Shows as a line item on the monthly report.
VAT/GST may apply by country. Invoice goes to the Steam user who paid, not a corporate billing entity.
Existing partners: only users with Admin permissions can buy additional app credits; the payer activates the credit.

3. Timing gates (hard requirements)

Gate	Rule	Why it matters
30-day wait	Cannot release until 30 days after the app fee was paid (first titles).	Valve verifies who they are doing business with.
Coming Soon	Public Coming Soon store page must be live ≥ 2 weeks before release.	Wishlists, discussion practice, audience warm-up.
Store review	Typically 3–5 business days; submit ≥ 7 business days before you need it live.	Page must be approved before Coming Soon can go public.
Build review	Typically 3–5 business days; plan ≥ 7. Store presence must be submitted before build review.	They run the game and check claimed features.
Adult content	If Mature Content Survey marks Adult Only Sexual Content, store + build must both be ready before store review completes; reviews can run longer.	Stricter payment-processor / age-gate checks.

Suggested calendar (aggressive)

Day 0: start tax/ID + pay fee. Week 1–2: finish paperwork, create app, upload assets, write page, set pricing + content survey. Week 2–3: store review → Coming Soon. Keep Coming Soon up while the 30-day fee clock runs. Launch −1–2 weeks: near-final build → build review → set date → green Release App when ready.

4. Prepare the product in Steamworks

After onboarding you get Steamworks access. Two checklists sit on the app landing page: Store Presence and Game Build. Complete starred items, then click Mark as ready for review. Store before build.

Store page (what Valve checks)

Only features/content that ship at launch (or clearly labeled as not yet released).
Capsules include a readable title / logo.
Screenshots are gameplay only — no concept art, cinematics, awards text, or marketing copy.
Description is detailed and coherent; no outbound website links in that section.
Early Access: answer every Early Access questionnaire field honestly.

Build (what Valve checks)

Starts successfully on every OS listed on the store page.
Every claimed store feature is actually implemented in the submitted build.
In-game purchases must use Steam Wallet — no links to non-Steam stores.
Submit a near-final default-branch build; you can keep patching after approval.

5. Required store graphical assets

Asset	Size	Notes
Header capsule	920 × 430	Required. Key art + logo; no quotes/extra text.
Small capsule	462 × 174	Required. Logo must stay legible at tiny sizes.
Main capsule	1232 × 706	Required. Home carousel / feature placement.
Vertical capsule	748 × 896	Required. Sales pages / seasonal layouts.
Screenshots	≥ 1920 × 1080, 16:9	≥ 5 gameplay shots. Flag ≥ 4 as “suitable for all ages” if eligible (front-page hover).
Page background	1438 × 810	Optional; otherwise generated from a screenshot.
Trailer	per trailer docs	Strongly expected for discovery; follow Steam trailer guidelines.

Templates and capsule rules: Graphical Assets — Overview. Library capsules and community assets are separate checklist items in Steamworks.

6. Money after launch

Lifetime revenue band	Developer share	Valve share
Up to $10M	70%	30%
$10M – $50M	75%	25%
Above $50M	80%	20%

Treat the signed Steam Distribution Agreement as the source of truth for projections. Most indie titles never leave the 70/30 band. No subscription listing fee beyond the per-app Direct fee.

7. What you cannot publish

From Steamworks onboarding rules (non-exhaustive). Content must also comply with the Distribution Agreement, Subscriber Agreement, Online Conduct, and Privacy Policy.

Hate speech; libel/defamation; content that exploits children
Nude/sexually explicit images of real people; unlabeled adult content
Content you do not own / lack rights to; illegal in jurisdictions where it ships
Malware, unexpected harmful system changes, phishing for Steam/financial credentials
Blockchain apps that issue or exchange cryptocurrencies or NFTs
Ad-supported business models
Non-interactive 360 VR videos; unrelated video content
Content that violates payment-processor / card-network / ISP standards (esp. some adult-only)

Primary acceptance target is games. Non-game software is limited to listed categories (animation, AV production, design, photo, education, finance, player tools, SteamVR tools).

8. Release day mechanics

Permissions needed: Publish app changes to Steam and Manage pricing and discounts.
After store approved + Coming Soon ≥ 2 weeks + build approved + fee wait done: green Release App on the product landing page.
Flow: Release App → review summary (publish package, optional launch discount, set playable) → Publish Now → confirm → Release Now.
Approved titles do not auto-release. After first approval, further updates generally skip re-review.

Checklist (practical)

#	Task
1	Create partner account; sign NDA + Distribution Agreement
2	Submit identity, bank, tax; wait for verification
3	Pay $100 Steam Direct fee (starts 30-day clock)
4	Create app; fill Basic Info, tags, mature content survey, pricing
5	Upload capsules, ≥5 gameplay screenshots, trailer, copy
6	Mark store presence ready for review → fix feedback → Coming Soon
7	Integrate Steamworks SDK as needed; upload depot builds via SteamPipe
8	Mark build ready for review (after store submitted)
9	Satisfy 30-day fee wait + 14-day Coming Soon
10	Press Release App when you want the title live

Official references

Research compiled 2026-09-09 · Prefer Steamworks docs over third-party guides if anything conflicts.