Valve adds Steam feature: Release dates for Early Access games

Valve has released a new feature in Steam that allows developers with games in Early Access to specify a planned date for when one of their games will be released in its first official 1.0 version.

The tools for editing a game’s store page now include a date field where developers can select either an exact calendar date or a more general time frame. For example: month and year, quarter and year, or just year.

When the information is published, it’s displayed openly on the game’s store page and can also be integrated into Steam’s personal calendar, making it easier for gamers to see when the game is expected to move from Early Access to full release.

The background to this is that many developers already communicate their 1.0 plans via store text, news posts, and/or social media. This is just another—perhaps more official—way for developers to convey this information. Valve emphasizes that the feature is optional.