Reward-based advertising is not allowed, but product placement is permitted: Steam outlines advertising rules for games
In the Steam documentation for partner-developers, a dedicated section on in-game advertising has appeared. The store has listed which advertising practices it supports and which ones it does not.
Specifically, Steam indicated that developers are prohibited from making advertising the primary business model of a game. They cannot add ads to their titles that players must watch to continue playing. If such monetization is used in versions of the game on other platforms, it must be removed before the release on Steam.
Rewarding ads that give players bonuses for watching or interacting with them are also forbidden.
As an alternative, Valve suggested that creators of ad-revenue games make their free-to-play projects paid for the Steam version. Another option is to keep the games free but introduce monetization through in-game purchases or selling add-ons.
What is allowed:
- product placement if it fits within the game's context and does not distract from the gameplay. For example, characters can wear clothing from well-known brands;
- cross-promotion. Developers can arrange collaborations with other studios and brands for joint bundles, sales, and much more;
- paid advertising campaigns outside of Steam to attract an audience.