Before your game can appear on Steam, you need a Steamworks developer account. The setup process is straightforward but has a few gotchas that trip up first-time developers. Let's walk through it step by step.
Go to partner.steamgames.com and click "Join Steam Distribution Program"
Log in with your Steam account. Use your personal account — you can't create a separate "company" Steam account for this.
Complete the digital paperwork: Company name (can be your solo dev name), address, contact information
Pay the $100 app fee. This is per-game, not per-account. You get it back once your game earns $1,000 in revenue.
Verify your identity. Valve requires identity verification, which may take a few business days.
This is the part that causes the most confusion, especially for international developers:
Tax interview: Valve will walk you through an IRS tax interview (W-8BEN for non-US individuals, W-8BEN-E for non-US entities). As a Swiss developer, you'll fill out the W-8BEN form.
Tax treaty benefits: Switzerland has a tax treaty with the US. This reduces the withholding tax on US sales from 30% to a lower rate. Make sure to claim treaty benefits in the tax interview.
Banking details: Valve pays via wire transfer. You'll need your bank's IBAN, BIC/SWIFT code, and bank address. Double-check everything — incorrect banking details delay payments by months.
Payment threshold: Valve pays monthly, but only when your balance exceeds $100. Payments arrive 30 days after the end of each month.
The $100 fee is per app, not per account. If you release 3 games, that's 3 separate $100 fees.
Your store page won't go live immediately. Valve reviews new store pages, which can take 2-5 business days.
You need a company name. If you're a solo dev, you can use your own name or your studio name. You don't need a formal company registration for this.
Keep your legal name consistent. The name on your Steamworks account should match the name on your tax forms and bank account.
Two-factor authentication is mandatory. Set up the Steam Mobile Authenticator before starting the Steamworks process.
Once your account is set up, you'll have access to a developer landing page on Steam. This is where players can see all your published games. Customize it with your studio logo and a banner image — it's a free piece of marketing real estate that many indie developers neglect.