Steam shipping glossary: 17 terms from repro steps to Deck Verified

Short definitions with what each term means for a Steam launch and what QA checks for it. Updated 2026-10-28; sources linked inside each entry.

• AI content disclosure (also: Steam AI disclosure, AI Generated Content Disclosure)

  AI content disclosure is the section of the Steam Content Survey where developers describe how their game uses AI-generated content, shown on the store page.

• Bug severity (also: Severity, Defect severity, Severity vs priority, Showstopper)

  Bug severity rates how badly a bug hurts the game, from a crash or lost save down to a cosmetic glitch, separately from how soon it gets fixed.

• Build ID (also: BuildID, Steam build number)

  A Steam build ID is the global number Steam assigns to each uploaded build of a game, used to tell builds apart and to set one live on a branch.

• Day-one patch (also: Day one patch, Launch day patch, Day 0 patch)

  A day-one patch is an update released on or right after launch day to fix bugs found after the release build was locked or once players arrived.

• Desync (also: Desynchronization, Out of sync)

  A desync is a multiplayer bug where two or more players' game states drift apart, so each client shows a different version of the same match.

• Gold master (also: Gold, Release candidate, RTM build)

  Gold master is the build a studio approves as the release version, after QA signs off that no known game-breaking bugs remain.

• Regression pass (also: Regression testing, Regression run)

  A regression pass retests features that already worked after a code change, to catch bugs the new patch broke in old parts of the game.

• Repro steps (also: Reproduction steps, Steps to reproduce, STR)

  Repro steps are the numbered actions that make a bug happen again on demand, written so a developer can trigger it without asking the tester anything.

• Smoke test (also: Build verification test, BVT, Sanity check)

  A smoke test is a short check that a new build starts, loads and runs its main loop, done before deeper testing so nobody wastes hours on a broken build.

• Soak test (also: Endurance test, Long-run test)

  A soak test runs a game build for many hours without restarting to catch memory leaks, slowdowns and crashes that only appear over long sessions.

• Softlock (also: Soft lock, Progression blocker)

  A softlock is a bug where the game keeps running but the player can no longer progress, for example stuck in a room with no way out.

• Steam beta branch (also: Beta branch, Steam branches, Private beta, Beta access code)

  A Steam beta branch is a separate build of a game that players opt into from the game's properties, often locked with a password for testers.

• Steam Deck Verified (also: Deck Verified, Steam Deck compatibility)

  Deck Verified is Valve's top Steam Deck compatibility rating, given when a game passes all checks and needs no configuration from the player.

• Steam Early Access (also: Early Access, Early access game, Early Access launch)

  Steam Early Access lets a studio sell a playable but unfinished game on Steam while development continues, with the store page saying so.

• Steam Next Fest (also: Next Fest, Steam Game Festival)

  Steam Next Fest is a weeklong Steam event, held three times a year, where unreleased games offer public demos to players, press and streamers.

• Steam review process (also: Valve review, Steam build review, Store page review, Pre-release review)

  The Steam review process is Valve's check of a game's store page and build before launch, each typically taking 3 to 5 business days.

• Steam review score (also: Steam user reviews, Review score, Mostly Positive, Mixed reviews)

  The Steam review score is the rating label on a store page, built from positive and negative reviews by players who bought the game on Steam.

Missing a term? Write to contact@jumbojelly.com. The glossary grows by a few entries a week.