Shipping on Steam, with numbers

Launch

Early Access, 1.0 and the first 48 hours on Steam.

• Steam Playtest vs demo vs beta branch: which one to use for pre-launch testing, and what each costs in setup time

  3 Steam test tools compared: Playtest is a free separate app, only a demo counts for Next Fest, beta keys cap at 2,500. Setup time per tool.

  30 October 2026

• How long does Steam review take? Store page and build review timelines, with a 6-week release calendar

  Steam review takes 3 to 5 business days per round, for the store page and the build. A dated 6-week calendar for first releases, with a rejection buffer.

  29 October 2026

• Early Access Launch Checklist: 35 Checks Before Steam

  This early access launch checklist has 35 checks in 5 blocks, plus Valve's written rules and what broke 3 real Early Access launches in 48 hours.

  Updated 30 October 2026

• Pre-launch game testing: what 30 hours of QA finds

  30 hours of pre-launch game testing covers first launch, critical path, saves, controller and 3 PC tiers. See the hour split and real Steam findings.

  27 October 2026

Next Fest

Demos, deadlines and what Next Fest players hit first.

• Steam Next Fest February 2027: 8-Week Demo QA Plan

  Steam Next Fest February 2027 runs Feb 22 to Mar 1, with demo builds due Jan 18. A week-by-week QA plan, deadline table and the bugs that break first.

  Updated 30 October 2026

Patches

Patch day, regression and day-one fixes.

• More patches, more bug reviews? Steam game patches vs reviews

  14.9% negative reviews for Steam games with 6+ patches in 30 days vs 8.3% with none. Split by bug rate, the gap disappears. 592 launches, Sept 2026.

  28 October 2026

• Day one patch: 22% of Steam launches patch within 24 hours

  22% of Steam games released in September 2026 patched within 24 hours, 73% within a week; median first patch 42.8 h after release. Data from 592 launches.

  Updated 28 October 2026

Buying QA

Costs, briefs, reports and choosing a tester.

• Game QA cost in 2026: rates, hours and 4 billing models

  Game QA cost in 2026: €13 to €45 per outsourced tester hour. Game testing services pricing, milestone hours and in-house costs compared.

  27 October 2026

• QA Brief for a Game: 10 Fields and a Free Template

  A QA brief needs 10 fields on one page: build, scope, specs, severity and more. Free game testing brief template plus a filled example.

  Updated 28 October 2026

Data

Monthly editions of the Steam Launch Bug Index.

• Steam launches in numbers: 2,739 games in September 2026

  2,739 games launched on Steam in September 2026; in the median launch 6.5% of early reviews mention a bug, 22% patched within 24 h. Edition 1.

  Updated 28 October 2026

Free tools