Valve is rolling out a major Steam overhaul called achievement sets, letting developers organize base-game and DLC achievements into distinct groups with individual progress bars. The feature moves beyond the traditional single achievement list, breaking long catalogs into developer-defined sets that appear when players view their unlocked content. Each set carries its own progress indicator, and completing a set awards a "set complete" trophy visible on a user's profile. Valve is also introducing seasonal achievement sets that developers can archive, opening the door for time-limited holiday or event-based rewards.
How developers build and structure sets
Developers can now split achievements from a base game and its associated DLCs into separate sets, each with its own progression bar. The mechanics remain unchanged—players still earn achievements through normal play—but the presentation changes. When a player browses their unlocked content, Steam reorganizes the flat list into the developer-created sets. This makes it easier to track completion and discover related goals. The API underpinning the feature supports both base-game and DLC titles, allowing a single cohesive structure that spans additional content.
What the seasonal set capability offers
Valve said the temporary nature of seasonal sets presents opportunities for games with cyclical content. Developers can add achievements to season-based games or enable time-limited holiday achievements, then archive the sets when the season ends. This could apply to winter events, summer sales cycles, or any game mode that runs on a schedule. The archived sets remain on a player's profile but no longer display active progress, preserving the history of what was earned during that period.
Games already enabled with achievement sets
Valve reported that a subset of titles have already adopted the feature. The current list includes Against the Storm, Age of Wonders 4, American Truck Simulator, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Crusader Kings III, DREDGE, Euro Truck Simulator 2, Forza Horizon 5, Flock Around, He is Coming, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 2, PowerWash Simulator, PowerWash Simulator 2, Team Fortress 2, and Victoria 3. These games demonstrate how the feature scales across genres—from grand strategy and truck simulation to cooperative shooters and sandbox cleaning simulations.
- Against the Storm
- Age of Wonders 4
- American Truck Simulator
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
- Crusader Kings III
- DREDGE
- Euro Truck Simulator 2
- Forza Horizon 5
- Flock Around
- He is Coming
- LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
- Left 4 Dead 2
- Portal 2
- PowerWash Simulator
- PowerWash Simulator 2
- Team Fortress 2
- Victoria 3
Steam Achievements page redesign
Alongside the sets feature, Valve is refreshing the Steam Achievements page. The new layout places a summary of overall progress at the top, followed by progress indicators for each achievement set, and then detailed views of individual achievements. This restructuring gives players a high-level view of how much content they have completed across sets, rather than scrolling through a single unbroken list. The redesign is available in the latest Steam client beta.
What this means for developers and teams
For studios building or maintaining games on Steam, the achievement sets feature requires a shift in how achievements are authored. Rather than designing one long list, developers must group achievements into meaningful sets during the build process. This can aid in pacing player progression, highlighting themed goals, and providing clearer milestones. The seasonal framework also means teams must consider how to manage time-gated content without breaking existing player profiles. Valve's documentation indicates the feature is opt-in; studios can ship their games without sets if the structure does not fit their design. The broader implication is that Steam's achievement system is moving from a static checklist toward a more modular, discoverable model that could influence how players engage with long-tail and seasonally rotating titles.
Valve said the new achievements features are available in the latest Steam client beta. The full rollout to all users will follow the beta period, with no announced release date beyond that window.