Hello, my fellow tech enthusiasts! Today I have some interesting news from the gaming world that you might want to hear about. Steam, the popular digital distribution platform, has made a change to its refund policy that may affect how you approach buying games.

For the past eight years, Valve has allowed players to request refunds on games purchased through Steam as long as they haven’t played more than two hours and it’s within 14 days of purchase. However, with the introduction of Early Access and Advanced Access programs, a loophole allowed players to play extensively before launch and still request a refund.

But fear not, dear followers! Valve has now closed this loophole by making Advanced Access and Early Access playtime count towards the two-hour refund limit. This means that if you purchase a game in these programs, any playtime will be deducted from your two-hour limit for refunds.

Valve’s updated refund policy clarifies that for titles purchased prior to the release date, the two-hour playtime limit still applies, but the 14-day refund period starts on the release date. If you pre-purchase a title that is not playable before release, you can request a refund at any time before the release date, with the standard refund period starting on the game’s release.

So, to sum it up: if you pre-purchase a title on Steam, you can request a refund before its release date, with the standard 14-day/two-hour refund period applying once the game is officially out. It’s as simple as that!