Steam review backlog delays Australia Did It launch

The Steam review backlog has cost another game its launch day. Australia Did It's official Steam update from November 11 confirms the game, due on November 10, still can't go on sale because it is waiting for Steam's approval.

Publisher Mystic Forge says the game will launch the moment its build is verified. The problem is not new: last week Valve admitted Steam review times now stretch to 12 business days.

How did the Steam review backlog hit Australia Did It?

Australia Did It: End-of-the-World Railway Defense Business is a post-apocalyptic train defence game. You place mercenaries at stations and protect your train in turn-based fights. It is developed by Rami Ismail and Aesthetician Labs.

According to GameSpot's report on the backlog, the build was submitted on October 20. It failed review over a small controller issue: the in-game feedback tool didn't let you type text with a controller.

Ismail says the bug was fixed that same day. The game has been back in the queue ever since, and the team has chased Valve several times with no result.

He told GameSpot that 10-14 days before launch is usually enough time to fail review twice over. "We decided to take that gamble and trust in Valve's willingness to come through for developers – it seems we bet wrong," he said.

Australia Did It and the Steam review backlog at a glance

• Planned launch: November 10, 2026
• Submitted to Steam: October 20, 2026
• Reason for failure: feedback tool without controller text input
• Status: waiting for approval, no new date
• Platform: PC (Steam)
• Publisher: Mystic Forge

What has Valve said about review times?

Valve's November 3 Steamworks post on pre-release review says store page and build submissions have risen sharply in recent months. Valve aims to test builds within 3-5 business days, but right now it can take up to 12.

Valve says much of the delay comes from re-reviews. To cut those down, it added new items to the release checklist. Games must now be played through Steam for at least five minutes, and achievements, Steam Cloud saves and screenshots get stricter checks.

Many studios believe the queue is clogged by low-effort AI games that fail and get resubmitted. We covered Valve's stance in our story on Valve's plan for Steam's AI slop problem. Ismail says the cause hardly matters, given Steam takes a 30% cut of every sale.

What does it mean for players?

Indie games on your wishlist may slip past their announced dates. In this case reviews are already out, but the Play button is still locked. The team has posted Ismail's own playthrough on the store page while it waits.

Ismail also says the Epic Games Store is no easy fix. Moving there would be "trading the one billionaire for the other", with lower sales potential. The tension between the two stores came up again in Tim Sweeney's attack on Steam's AI labels.

Valve says more improvements are coming. Until then, big events such as Steam Next Fest October 2026 can push a wave of launches into an already busy queue. Developers may need to plan Steam launches more like console releases, with much more lead time.

Frequently asked questions

Why didn't Australia Did It launch on November 10?

It is still waiting to pass Steam's mandatory pre-release review. Developer Rami Ismail says the build went in on October 20, failed over a minor controller issue that was fixed the same day, and has been waiting ever since.

How long does Steam build review take?

Valve's November 3 Steamworks post says it aims to test builds within 3-5 business days, but is currently taking up to 12 business days. It blames much of the delay on re-reviews.

How does the Steam review backlog affect players?

Some wishlisted games may miss their announced dates. Australia Did It already has reviews out, but its Play button stays locked until Valve signs off on the build.

Sources

• Steam (Mystic Forge): Patiently gaming w/ developer Rami Ismail
• Steamworks (Valve): Updates to the Pre-Release Review Process
• GameSpot: Steam's Growing Review Backlog Has Cost Another Game Its Launch Date