Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThere is no verified evidence in the available reporting that Steam deleted negative Ashes of Creation product reviews or excluded them from the game’s score. A 13 December 2025 Notebookcheck report relayed players’ claims that critical Steam discussion posts were deleted around the game’s Early Access launch; it did not independently establish which posts were removed, who removed them, or why.
What the censorship claims say
Notebookcheck, in a report by Adam Corsetti dated 13 December 2025, said players alleged that critical posts on the Steam forums had been deleted shortly before launch. The report cited a Steam review by Damien Scott accusing moderators of removing critical posts, and said other players echoed the account. It also described similar allegations about the game’s official forum, subreddit and Discord. These are attributed claims, not independently verified findings. Read Notebookcheck’s report.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Pathfinder Arena: Age of Ashes Board Game Expansion | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Chronos: Before the Ashes - PlayStation 4 (PS4) | $34.95 | Buy on Amazon |
The report does not provide a complete record of the allegedly deleted posts, direct moderator notices, an explanation from Valve, or a title-specific policy decision. It therefore cannot establish that particular posts were removed, who acted, or what rule—if any—was involved. Nor does it establish that Steam product reviews were deleted.
Forum posts and product reviews are different
The reported allegation concerns discussion posts, while a Steam product review is a separate kind of content displayed on a game’s store page. The report’s headline can blur that distinction: it is not evidence that Valve removed negative Ashes of Creation reviews. Steam’s published user-review guidance describes how reviews are handled, but does not resolve the specific forum-post allegation.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- EXPAND YOUR ADVENTURES: Bring the 'Age of Ashes' to your Pathfinder Arena with new challenges including a unique hero, Nketiah, and four new monsters like the Skeletal Hellcrown and Dragonshard Golem.
- IMMERSE IN DEPTH: Experience intricate gameplay with a cooperative campaign, enhancing your strategic options and expanding the core game’s narrative.
- DYNAMIC GAME ELEMENTS: Introduces complex engine-building mechanics and a solo gameplay option, perfect for deep tactical planning and solo challenges.
- HIGH-QUALITY COMPONENTS: Includes 1 unique iconic hero figure, 4 unique monster figures, 10 tokens, and 20 game-enhancing cards.
- PERFECT FOR PATHFINDER FANS: Ideal for fans of the Pathfinder universe, especially those familiar with the 'Age of Ashes' adventure path from Pathfinder 2nd edition.
Steam lists Ashes of Creation as an Intrepid Studios, Inc. game whose Early Access began on 11 December 2025. Its store page describes the build as an unfinished Alpha Two testing experience, acknowledges bugs, performance issues and unfinished areas, and says there is no specific Early Access end date. The listing describes planned Beta One and Beta Two stages before full launch. See the Steam listing.
Notebookcheck placed the complaints in the immediate launch period and reported player objections to queues, the game’s rough state and its price. Those points are the report’s account of player reactions, not independent measurements of launch conditions.
What Steam says can happen to reviews
Steam’s rules distinguish a review confirmed to violate its policies from one marked off-topic. Developers cannot directly delete reviews; customers can flag them for moderator review. Steam says reviews confirmed to violate its rules are removed. If a review is determined to be off-topic, its visibility is reduced, but it remains part of the product’s score. Steamworks User Reviews documentation.
Rank #2
- Adventure RPG - refreshing combination of adventure game elements and RPG mechanics
- deep combat - A variety of weapons, abilities and powers are available to the player in the pursuit of their quest
- unique aging mechanic - every time the player dies they Age one year. Players must adapt to their advancing Age as they progress their character
- starting the game young, nimble and quick, and ending wise and more attuned to magic
Steam also says customers may leave a positive or negative review for any reason. Reviews can address more than gameplay, including value, business practices and the experience of a game’s community. A negative review about a service or business practice is therefore not automatically off-topic under Steam’s published guidance.
Review-bomb score adjustments are not deletion
Steam defines review bombing as a large amount of players using reviews to express unhappiness, lower a score and prompt a response. Valve says it can investigate anomalous review activity. If it identifies an off-topic review-bomb period, it can exclude reviews from that period from the score calculation while leaving them readable. That is a score adjustment, not removal of the reviews themselves. Valve’s review-bomb policy explanation.
The sources available here do not establish that Valve applied this process to Ashes of Creation. A changing store-page review count or sentiment percentage would not, on its own, show that moderation or a score adjustment occurred.
Quick Recap
How to read the claim accurately
- Critical Steam forum posts: players reportedly said some were deleted; the available account does not verify the posts or the reason for their removal.
- Negative store reviews: the report does not establish that Steam deleted them.
- Off-topic reviews: Steam says their visibility can be reduced while they continue to count toward the score.
- Reviews violating Steam rules: Steam says moderators can remove confirmed violations.
- Off-topic review-bomb periods: Valve can exclude reviews from the score while leaving them readable; no title-specific use of that process is established here.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
