Valve has a 'fake games' problem but it thinks it has a fix

After months of ‘fake news’ being the latest buzz word bandwagon, it’s fake games that are now grabbing attention.

According to latest reports, Valve is looking to address dodgy titles that are clogging up the Steam store, with the company reportedly ready to take positive action to counteract the issue.

With a flurry of low-quality games having been uploaded by developers looking to turn a quick profit, Valve is said to be readying a team of ‘Steam Explorers’ to weed out the sub-standard games.

These ‘Steam Explorers’ will be tasked with playing through a collection of low ranking Steam games and flagging those they think have promise. The more flags a game receive, the more prominence it will be given on the Steam platform.

The hope is that decent independent games will get the visibility they deserve, while those that are failing to deliver a decent gaming experience sink to the bottom.

From Greenlight to Direct

Although Valve has yet to launch the Explorer program, the news has surfaced via two prominent gaming YouTubers who were recently invited to Valve’s HQ.

Having discussed changes heading to the platform, YouTubers Jim Sterling and John “TotalBiscuit” Bain have detailed how the inbound initiative will look to tackle what the company internally refers to as 'fake games'.

These ‘fake games’ cover titles that are poorly made, derivative or broken and likely churned out by hooky devs looking to make a quick buck.

It’s suggested that any Steam user will be able to sign up to become an Explorer, with a dedicated forum being created to host those that take on the roles.

This is just one of a number of changes Valve is getting ready to implement.
Elsewhere, Steam Curators are to be given more information on the how their curations affect games’ sales, while regular Steam users will be offered a system that shows why particular games are being shown to them.

The news comes after Valve revealed its to ditch its Greenlight submission program, instead replacing it with a new Steam Direct system that will require developers to pay a registration fee between $100 and $5,000.

Via The Verge

Latest in Gaming
Shigeru Miyamoto presents Nintendo Today app
Nintendo Today smartphone app is out now on iOS and Android devices – and here's what it does
Nintendo Virtual Game Card
Nintendo reveals the new Virtual Game Card feature, an easier way to manage your digital Switch games
Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date has seemingly been confirmed by Best Buy Canada – here's when you'll be able to order yours
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet reportedly won't release until after 2026, as Neil Druckmann says that staff 'are playing it at the office' right now - but I don't think I can wait that long
Screenshot from action RPG soulslike Lies of P
Lies of P Overture won't elaborate on the game's eyebrow-raising post-credits twist, and I think that's good news
Nintendo Switch 2
The Switch 2 launching with a Mario Kart game 'is very unlike Nintendo' compared to the original Switch releasing with Breath of the Wild, says former marketing leads: 'That's what's gonna make you want to buy the new hardware'
Latest in News
Shigeru Miyamoto presents Nintendo Today app
Nintendo Today smartphone app is out now on iOS and Android devices – and here's what it does
Nintendo Virtual Game Card
Nintendo reveals the new Virtual Game Card feature, an easier way to manage your digital Switch games
Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date has seemingly been confirmed by Best Buy Canada – here's when you'll be able to order yours
Person printing
Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 update exorcises possessed printers that spewed out pages of random characters
Pro-Ject A1.2 in black, playing a vinyl record in a hi-fi listening room
Pro-Ject's new fully-automatic turntable could be the buy of Record Store Day 2025
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet reportedly won't release until after 2026, as Neil Druckmann says that staff 'are playing it at the office' right now - but I don't think I can wait that long