Steam's two-hour rule has been changed: gamers will no longer be able to play games for free before release with a refund afterwards

Valve has announced important changes to the refund policy for games purchased on the Steam digital shop.

Here's What We Know

Under Steam's rules, buyers can spend two hours playing a game while retaining the option to get a refund when they return it.

Some users have abused this feature by purchasing extended editions or pre-orders, which give access to games ahead of their release. This way, users could play for an unlimited amount of time before release and two hours after release.

Of course, during this time it was possible to completely play some games and demand a refund for them.

Valve has closed this loophole in the rules and now the coveted two hours are counted down during pre-release access to games. The 14-day refund period starts from the official release date of the game.

Changes to the relevant paragraph in the Steam rules

Was:

If you pre-ordered an item on Steam and paid the price, you will be able to request a refund at any time while the item is still available. The standard refund policy (14 days/2 hours) will go into effect once the release occurs.

Stahl:

If you purchase a game on Steam before its official release date, the two-hour game time limit rules will apply for refunds, but the 14-day refund period won't begin until after the official release date. For example, if you purchase the game in Early Access or Extended Access, all time in-game will count towards the two-hour limit for refunds. If you're pre-ordering for a game that can't be played until its release date, you can request a refund any time before its release, and the standard 14-day and two-hour refund limit period will begin on the game's release date.

Source: Steam