AI Summary
5 min readWhy you can't trust Steam reviews anymore
Two publicly traded companies have broken Steam's rules on review manipulation and AI disclosure, and so far, neither has faced consequences. This matters because if Valve does nothing, it sets a precedent that large publishers can ignore the platform's rules with impunity—and the trust that makes Steam's review system useful will quietly erode.
The Nexon case: bribing for reviews
Last week, Nexon brought Blue Archive, a popular mobile gacha game, to Steam. It launched with a 91% positive rating from 8,524 reviews. That looks impressive—until you learn how Nexon got there.
The company ran a "Steam Review Event" offering in-game gifts to all users once the total number of Steam reviews hit a target. The rules didn't specify positive or negative reviews—just volume. But Steam's rule nine is unambiguous: "Don't attempt to abuse or artificially manipulate the review system." And further: "Don't solicit reviews in exchange for DLC, money, or other rewards."
Nexon did exactly that. They offered rewards for reviews. The host is blunt about it: "Those rules are being broken. Undeniable."
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What you'll learn
- 1 Why you can't trust Steam reviews anymore | Asmongold TV
- 2 Timestamped Outline
- 3 (01:58) **Steam Reviews Under Threat** - Two major listed companies have broken Steam's biggest rules on review manipulation and AI disclosure, with no consequences yet
- 4 (05:22) **How Steam Normally Enforces Its Rules** - Smaller teams and indies get swiftly punished for violations, but big companies may be treated differently
- 5 (06:59) **Nexon's Blue Archive Review Manipulation** - A publicly traded company offering in-game rewards for Steam reviews, directly violating Steam's rules
- 6 (11:44) **Why This Matters for Big Companies** - The argument that Steam should ban Blue Archive despite Nexon being a major publisher worth billions
- 7 (12:59) **Eleven Bit's AI Disclosure Failure** - The developer of The Alters and Frostpunk broke Steam's generative AI disclosure rules
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Why you can't trust Steam reviews anymore Asmongold podcast for all of his stream highlights, competitions, reactions & more.
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---- Keywords: reaction videos, world of warcraft, gaming news, pc gaming, mmo gaming, streamer reactions
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