Steam introduced a second edition of Community Awards in January 2026. The new set contains 12 awards at 500 points each, and recipients no longer receive a share of the points.
Eligible first-edition awards still in their waiting period completed their old point transfer. The former Community Contributor and Community Patron badges became first-edition records; new awards do not keep leveling those badges.
As someone who writes reviews and makes Workshop content, I felt this reduced the reward for contributing. Recognition is still useful, but the new gifts are largely a visible appreciation mechanism rather than a way for recipients to earn points.
That may change incentives for some contributors, though it does not prove everyone will stop creating content. The change also does not itself establish a higher Steam market fee. See Valve’s announcement for the transition details.
Adapted from the original Chinese article, published on January 15, 2026.
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