Steam has officially banned games that force players to watch ads, or grant in-game rewards for watching ads, in a historic move for the platform.

Valve makes clear companies can still advertise in games. Those awkward billboards and real-world brand cosmetics are still fine to include, although Steam does stipulate that these must not be “disruptive” and are “appropriate within the context of the game.”

Steam games can no longer force you to watch ads to continue playing, as Valve sets out new rules for developers using commercials.

Cheery mom-and-pop computer game business Valve have created a new Steamworks page for their policy about in-game

Valve has seemingly introduced new rules that ban games that require users to watch paid ads (or rely on other such ad-based revenue models) from Steam. However, some sources report that these rules may have already existed, and that Valve has merely created a dedicated page on Steamworks to clarify this policy.

Valve has quietly updated its Steam guidelines to prohibit games that contain obligatory in-game ads. Going forward, games that require players to watch or engage with marketing material are out, as are titles that offer rewards for engaging with ads.

Valve has reiterated its stance against exploitative in-game advertising, threatening to ban any game that uses these mechanics.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox