How to Publish a Game on Steam — A Step-by-Step Guide From a Developer Doing It Right Now
How to publish a game on Steam in 2026. Steam Direct registration, Steamworks setup, store page creation, and everything we learned doing it with our own game.
By the Choost Games team, we're going through this process right now with Granny's Rampage. This guide comes from our actual experience, not secondhand research.
Publishing a game on Steam costs $100 per title, requires filling out tax and identity verification forms, and takes 2-4 weeks from application to having a live store page. The process is straightforward but has friction points that nobody tells you about until you hit them. Here's everything, in order, from someone currently navigating it.
How do you pay the Steam Direct fee?
To publish a game on Steam, you pay a one-time $100 fee per title through Steam Direct on the Steamworks partner site. This fee is recoupable after your game earns $1,000 in revenue, but is non-refundable if you never launch.
Go to the Steamworks partner page and create a Steamworks account. You'll pay a $100 fee per game you want to publish. This fee is recoupable, once your game earns $1,000 in revenue, Valve refunds the $100.
You need a valid payment method. The $100 is non-refundable if your game never launches, so make sure you're committed before paying.
What identity and tax verification does Steam require?
Steam requires KYC identity verification before you can publish. You submit government-issued ID, choose to register as an individual or company, and complete tax forms (W-9 for US developers, W-8BEN for international). Company registration with a DUNS number can add 2-4 weeks.
This is where the process slows down. Valve requires identity verification (KYC) before you can publish. You'll need to provide government-issued ID and go through a verification service. For solo developers and small studios, the options are:
| Option | Requirements | Tradeoffs |
|---|---|---|
| As an individual | Personal ID and tax information | Straightforward, but your legal name appears on the store page unless you register a business entity |
| As a company | Registered business entity (LLC, Corp, etc.), EIN or equivalent tax ID, potentially a DUNS number | More professional appearance, but setup takes 1-4 weeks depending on state and DUNS application queue |
We registered under Endymion Corp, which required getting a DUNS number through Dun & Bradstreet. The application was free but took about two weeks to process. Plan for this delay.
Tax verification: Valve needs your tax information for revenue reporting. US developers fill out W-9 forms. International developers fill out W-8BEN or equivalent. This happens inside Steamworks and is mostly automated.
How do you set up a Steam store page?
Your Steam store page needs a header capsule (460x215), main capsule (616x353), at least 5 gameplay screenshots, a 60-90 second trailer, a clear description, and accurate genre tags. These assets determine whether players click on your game, so treat them as seriously as the game itself.
Once verified, you create your app in Steamworks and build your store page. The required assets:
| Asset | Specs | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Header capsule | 460x215 | Appears in search results and wishlists. Must be readable at thumbnail size with game title clearly visible. |
| Main capsule | 616x353 | The larger image on your store page. Show actual gameplay or key art that represents the game. |
| Screenshots | Minimum 5 | Actual gameplay screenshots, not concept art. Steam's algorithm factors screenshot quality into visibility recommendations. |
| Trailer | 60-90 seconds | Technically optional but practically mandatory. Show gameplay immediately; players click away if no action in the first 3 seconds. |
| Description | Sales copy | Lead with what the game IS, not what inspired it. "A bullet heaven where you fight waves of enemies with escalating weapons" tells players what they're getting. |
| Tags | Genre tags | Select the most accurate genre tags. Don't spam tags; mismatched tags lead to negative reviews from players who expected something different. |
For a bullet heaven, relevant tags include: Action, Roguelike, Bullet Hell, Indie, Pixel Graphics (if applicable).
How do you upload a game build to Steam?
Steamworks uses a depot system for builds. You download the Steamworks SDK, configure depots (one per platform), and upload files through the SteamPipe command-line tool. For web-based games, Electron packaging creates a desktop executable Steam can launch.
Steamworks uses a depot system for builds. You download the Steamworks SDK, configure your depots (one per platform), and upload your game files through the SteamPipe command-line tool.
For a web-based game (like ours, built in Phaser), Electron packaging creates a desktop executable that Steam can launch. The process: build your game for production, wrap it in Electron, configure the Steam overlay, and upload.
Configure launch options, controller support, cloud save paths, and achievement definitions in the Steamworks dashboard. None of these are required for launch, but controller support and cloud saves significantly improve player experience.
How long does Steam store page review take?
Valve reviews your store page in 2-5 business days. They check for accurate content descriptions, proper age ratings, and compliance with Steam's content policies. If rejected, you fix the issue, resubmit, and wait another review cycle.
Before going live, Valve reviews your store page. This usually takes 2-5 business days. They check for accurate content descriptions, proper age ratings, and compliance with Steam's content policies.
Common rejection reasons: misleading screenshots, missing content descriptors for violence/nudity, incomplete descriptions, or header images that don't include the game title. Fix the issue, resubmit, wait another review cycle.
How do Steam Coming Soon pages work?
Once your store page is approved, publish a "Coming Soon" page immediately. These pages collect wishlists while your game is in development, and wishlist count directly impacts your launch visibility on Steam. Games with 5,000 wishlists at launch get significantly more algorithmic promotion than those with 500.
Once approved, you can publish a "Coming Soon" page while your game is still in development. Do this as early as possible. Coming Soon pages collect wishlists, and wishlist count directly impacts your launch visibility on Steam.
Steam's algorithm promotes games based on wishlist velocity (how fast wishlists are accumulating) and total count. A game with 5,000 wishlists at launch gets significantly more visibility than one with 500.
How do you release a game on Steam?
When your game is ready, set a release date in Steamworks and click release. Steam processes it within hours. Launch day email notifications go to every wishlister, with a typical 15-25% conversion rate from wishlist to purchase, making it your single biggest marketing moment.
When your game is ready, set a release date in Steamworks and click release. Steam processes it within a few hours. Your game appears on the New Releases page and in the queues of players who wishlisted it.
Launch day email notifications go to every player who wishlisted your game. This is your single biggest marketing moment, the conversion rate from wishlist to purchase is typically 15-25% on launch day.
What should you know before publishing on Steam?
Start your DUNS application early, invest heavily in your store page assets (capsule, trailer, first screenshot), build wishlists months before launch, and avoid launching on Tuesday when competition for the New Releases page is highest. These lessons come from our own experience publishing right now.
Start the DUNS application immediately. If you're publishing under a business entity, the Dun & Bradstreet number takes the longest of any step. Apply before you need it.
The store page matters more than the game for initial sales. Players buy based on the capsule image, trailer, and first screenshot. If those three assets don't communicate your game clearly, nothing else matters.
Wishlists are the game. Steam's algorithm rewards games with high wishlist counts with more visibility, which generates more wishlists, which generates more visibility. Start collecting wishlists months before launch.
Don't launch on a Tuesday. Tuesday is the most common launch day, which means the most competition for attention. Thursday and Friday launches see less competition on the New Releases page.
More From Choost Games
We're documenting our journey publishing Granny's Rampage on Steam. See also how to make indie games, solo dev AI tools, and building a bullet heaven in Phaser.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to publish on Steam? $100 per game through Steam Direct. The fee is refunded once your game earns $1,000 in revenue. There are no ongoing fees, Valve takes a 30% cut of each sale (dropping to 25% after $10M and 20% after $50M).
How long does the whole process take? From creating a Steamworks account to having a live Coming Soon page: 2-4 weeks, mostly waiting for identity verification and store page review. If you need a DUNS number, add 2 more weeks.
Can I publish on Steam as an individual? Yes. You don't need a business entity. Your legal name will appear as the publisher unless you register a business. Some solo devs create an LLC specifically for this reason.
What percentage does Steam take? 30% of revenue for the first $10M in sales, then 25% up to $50M, then 20% above that. Most indie games will be at the 30% tier.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to publish a game on Steam in 2026?
It costs $100 per game through Steam Direct. The fee is recoupable once your game earns $1,000 in revenue. Beyond that, Valve takes a 30% cut of each sale, dropping to 25% after $10M and 20% after $50M in revenue.
How long does it take to get a game on Steam?
From creating a Steamworks account to having a live Coming Soon page takes 2-4 weeks. Most of that time is waiting for identity verification and store page review. If you need a DUNS number for a business entity, add about 2 more weeks.
Can you publish on Steam without a company?
Yes. You can publish as an individual by uploading personal ID and tax information. The tradeoff is your legal name appears as the publisher on the store page. Many solo devs register an LLC specifically to use a studio name instead.
How many wishlists do you need for a good Steam launch?
A game with 5,000 wishlists at launch gets significantly more algorithmic visibility than one with 500. The typical wishlist-to-purchase conversion rate on launch day is 15-25%, so more wishlists directly means more day-one sales and more promotion from Steam's algorithm.
