A recent update to the Steamworks Community FAQ clarified that developers are prohibited from using Steam's Community Hub to promote non-Steam versions of their games. It doesn't happen often, especially with the advent of the Epic Games Store: as we noted in December 2018, Unknown Worlds, for example, does not have a forum on EGS, so supporting the game on the Epic Games Store (which means, arguably promote it) using Subnautica's Steam page.

FAQs seem to prohibit such activity in the future. The FAQ states, "Games that ship via Steam, and communications on Steam, may only advertise the Steam version and availability via Steam, and may not advertise any other distribution channels. This applies to the full version of the game as well as to content patches that modify the existing version.

This language is broad, and some users have read it as prohibiting things like unofficial patches released outside of Steam, as well as announcements of releases and updates on other storefronts. Today, however, Valve issued a statement clarifying that this policy is in fact not new at all, but merely an updated FAQ to provide developers with sufficient information.

"Regarding the updated language in the Steamworks Community FAQ, the general spirit of this update is to ensure that developers do not promote exclusive offerings of their games on competing platforms, promote external downloads that circumvent Steam's content policies, or Distribution Agreement," said Valve.

"The new language in the FAQ was not intended to introduce or enforce a new policy that would concern the vast majority of people publishing on Steam, but to remind the few developers who are exploring the boundaries of the existing policy of the existing rules.

So while the codification of the rules into the FAQ is relatively new, and the rep separately stated that it was actually updated a few months ago, it does not appear that Steam itself will be dramatically affected. The representative also stated that if a developer is found to be in violation of the policy, "we address each issue on a case-by-case basis and communicate with the content creator to try to resolve any issues."