Gold master
Also called: 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.
Gold master, or going gold, is the point where a studio declares a build final for release. The term comes from physical media, when a master disc went to the factory. Today it means the release candidate that passed sign-off and will be set live for players.
On Steam, there is no disc and no factory, so the line is softer. A studio can upload a fix minutes before launch and roll back if needed. That flexibility is why many teams skip a formal gold build, then ship a patch on launch day for bugs that a frozen candidate and one more test pass would have caught.
QA treats the gold candidate as a frozen build. Testers run a smoke test first, then a regression pass on the exact build ID that will go live. Any change after sign-off, even a one-line fix, restarts at least the smoke test.
Updated · Written by JJ, founder of Jumbo Jelly.
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Related terms
- Build ID
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.
- Regression pass
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.
- Smoke test
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.
- Day-one 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.