Guides
When to put your game on Steam (Coming Soon page)
DreamEp, founder of NextWishlist · Updated · 3 min read
On this page
Short answerAs soon as you're ready to talk about your game publicly, according to Valve, once its art direction and core features are settled. Submit the page at least 7 business days ahead (review takes 3 to 5), and keep it public at least two weeks before release.
Your Steam page is where wishlists start, and wishlists don't expire. So the question isn't whether to publish it early, but what it needs first. Here is what Valve requires, how long each step takes, and when practitioners say you're ready.
01The short answer
Valve's advice is to publish your Coming Soon page as soon as you're ready to start talking publicly about your game, and to wait only if your art direction and core features may still change a lot. A page can stay up for a long time before release, and Valve notes that early wishlisters are about as likely to buy as late ones.
02Are you ready? The practical checklist
- Your genre and core mechanics are set.
- Your art style is final, even if not every level is.
- You can show at least three different environments in screenshots.
- You have a gameplay trailer, even a short one, and a professional capsule (capsule sizes and tags).
Holding your page back to "save momentum" costs you wishlists you'd collect in the meantime.
03The steps and how long they take
- Pay the Steam Direct fee: $100 per game, recouped once the game reaches $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue.
- Fill in your store presence: every item of "Your Store Presence" is required (branding images, description, ideally a gameplay trailer).
- Mark it as ready for review. Valve asks for at least 7 business days before you want the page live; the review itself typically takes 3 to 5 business days.
- Press "Post as Coming Soon" once it's approved: the page and your community hub go public, and players can wishlist the game.
- Months beforeComing Soon page live, wishlists, demo, Next Fest
- 8 weeks beforeAnnounce your date: the personal calendar starts recommending you
- 2 weeks beforeMinimum time as Coming Soon for a new game
- Launch dayYou press Release: every wishlister is emailed
- After day 30Price change allowed; a new discount 30 days after the launch discount ends
04What a Coming Soon page unlocks
- Wishlists: every wishlister gets an email from Steam when you launch.
- Your community hub, for announcements, artwork and discussions.
- Followers, who see your announcements (Steam events and announcements).
- Festivals: Steam's themed fests are open to Coming Soon games, and your demo can go to Next Fest.
05The minimum before release
For a new game, the page must be up as Coming Soon for at least two weeks before you can release. That's a floor, not a plan: most games need months of wishlists. See how many wishlists you need to launch.
06From your first page to launch day
NextWishlist reads your Steam page every day, checks it against Valve's rules and the pages of games like yours, and gives you a short plan to grow your wishlists until launch. Join the private beta.
07What your page needs on day one
- A capsule made by a professional, with only your game's title as text (Steam page optimization).
- A gameplay trailer that opens on the action (how to make a game trailer).
- At least 5 gameplay screenshots.
- A short description that names the genre and the hook (how to write your Steam description).
- Tags that similar, popular games use and that truly apply.
- A release window ("Coming 2027") until you're ready to set a date about 8 weeks ahead.
When to put your game on Steam (Coming Soon page): quick answers
When should I put my game on Steam?
Valve's advice: as soon as you're ready to talk publicly about it, unless your art direction and core features may still change a lot. Early pages have no strong downside, and early wishlisters buy about as often as late ones.
How long does Steam take to review a store page?
Valve says its review typically takes 3 to 5 business days, and asks you to submit at least 7 business days before you want the page live.
How long must a Coming Soon page be up before release?
At least two weeks for a new game.
How much does it cost to put a game on Steam?
The Steam Direct fee is $100 per game, recouped once the game reaches $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue.
Sources
Valve's rules can change: the official Steamworks page always wins. Practitioner benchmarks are surveys of developers, given as ranges.
- Valve, Coming Soon pages (Steamworks) (read Oct 28, 2026)
- Valve, Release process (Steamworks) (read Oct 28, 2026)
- Valve, Steam Direct fee (Steamworks) (read Oct 28, 2026)
- Valve, Wishlists (Steamworks) (read Oct 28, 2026)
- Valve, Themed sale events (Steamworks) (read Oct 4, 2026)
- Chris Zukowski, “When should I post my Steam Coming Soon page?” (March 10, 2025)
Your Steam page, checked every day.
Your capsule, trailer, tags and description compared with Valve's rules and with the pages of games like yours, with what to fix first. NextWishlist is a Steam marketing tool for indie developers, in private beta.