Steam has an oft-exploited refund coverage, whereby any participant is ready to request their a refund for a sport that they purchased inside the final 14 days, and performed for lower than two hours. (Promoting a sport that’s shorter than two hours? Sucks to be you.) However it appears that evidently folks shopping for video games with so-called “Superior Entry” had been in a position to subvert the system. No extra.
To not be confused with Early Entry—the place video games are launched on sale however incomplete, with prospects conscious they’re shopping for an unfinished product—Superior Entry is when a developer or writer permits individuals who’ve pre-ordered a sport to play it forward of its official launch. And it appears that evidently till now, Valve wasn’t beginning the 2 hour clock till the discharge date.
This implies folks had been in a position to mainline a sport throughout these few days of additional entry, present inside the detrimental time bubble Steam was creating, after which nonetheless refund the sport moments after it went on common sale. Which is very cheeky.
In an April 24 submit on Steam, Valve introduced that these system-smashing shenanigans have been kyboshed.
As we speak we’ve got up to date a portion of our Refund Coverage concerning pre-purchased titles. This modification covers titles which might be in pre-purchase and provide “Superior Entry”. Playtime acquired throughout the Superior Entry interval will now depend in direction of the Steam refund interval. Yow will discover our extra data concerning Steam Refunds right here.
In fact, all the same old refund insurance policies nonetheless apply, so ought to somebody buy Superior Entry, play the sport for lower than two hours, and determine they hate it with all their coronary heart, as long as a fortnight hasn’t handed, they will ask for his or her a refund.
And for the indie builders who intentionally create vignette video games which might be designed to final lower than two hours? Nicely, they’re all nonetheless simply as royally fucked.
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