Valve lets Steam launch discounts double in length, so the savings now last between 7 and 14 days

05.03.2024 - 13:41 / gamesradar.com / Hirun Cryer

Steam launch discounts for games can double in length, thanks to changes Valve is making.

If you're a frequent Steam user, you're probably used to launch discounts by now. Developers can offer 10% off a game if you pre-order it before it launches, or buy it a few days after launch, encouraging players to plonk down their cash for a neat little discount. Just look at the recent Pacific Drive for example, which offered 10% off before launch.

Thanks to a new update from Valve (and as first reported by Game Developer),  game developers can now extend their game's launch discount between seven and 14 days. "This change addresses a frequent request from game developers and brings our launch discount functionality more in line with developers' ability to manage discounting on released games," Valve's post reads.

This means developers can manually adjust their launch discounts to launch from anywhere between seven and 14 days after their game releases. Additionally, Valve is still recommending devs offer a 10% or 15% discount for the launch sale, and cap the launch discount at 40% off the premium price.

Valve is also changing how launch sales interact with Steam's huge sales events. "If your game releases close to a seasonal sale and you would like to have a launch discount extend into that sale, then you can choose a launch discount duration of up to 14 days," Valve adds. 

"We cannot extend a launch discount beyond 14 days, so depending on when you released your game, it's possible that your game's launch discount may end prior to the end of the seasonal sale," the platformer holder also writes. "Generally, you cannot run a discount within 30 days of the release of your game or until 30 days from when the launch discount ends."

Read up on our guide to all the major upcoming PC games to see which ones will be launching on Valve's storefront in the near future.