Steam is changing how players track achievements, and the update addresses one of the platform’s most frustrating completion problems: downloadable content adding new achievements after a game already shows 100 percent progress. Its new Achievement Sets feature separates base game achievements from DLC achievements, giving each collection its own progress bar and completion status.
Achievement Sets are now live in the latest Steam Client beta. The feature lets Steam group achievements into collections created by game developers, including sets for single-player content, multiplayer content, or seasonal activities. Developers will need to update their games before those specific collections appear.
The change does not alter how players unlock achievements. You still play the game as usual, but Steam organizes the results into clearer groups afterward.
Base games and DLC get separate progress
Valve described the new system this way: “In games that support sets, you still unlock achievements by playing the game as usual. But when you browse what you have unlocked afterward, Steam will break the long list of game achievements into the developer-created sets, making it easier to see what you have completed and to find other related achievements you can unlock next.”
Steam divides the collections into Base Game Achievement Sets and DLC Achievement Sets. Base game trophies and progress bars appear in blue, while DLC achievements and progress bars appear in purple. That visual split makes it easier to see which part of a game contains unfinished achievements.
There is also a key change for players who care about a perfect record. Each achievement set has its own progress bar and a “set complete” trophy. Once a set reaches 100 percent, its progress will continue to show 100 percent even if more achievements are added later.
DLC sets will not appear in a game’s overall progress until the DLC is accessed. That means additional content can stay separate instead of changing the base game’s completion record. Steam Achievement Sets are designed to stop DLC from ruining a 100 percent result earned in the original game.
A redesigned page and seasonal possibilities
The Steam Achievements page has also been redesigned to present the new structure. It will show overall progress, progress within each Achievement Set, and details about individual achievements. Players can compare their progress with up to three friends, including rare achievements and completed sets.
The system also supports seasonal Achievement Sets that can be archived. Steam says developers can use them for season-based games or for time-limited holiday achievements. Once archived, those collections can remain part of the game’s achievement history without changing the way current sets are tracked.
Valve explained the appeal of that option in a statement: “We think there are a lot of fun ways games can take advantage of the temporary nature this can add, such as adding achievements to season-based games or enabling time-limited holiday achievements.”
That gives developers a way to create temporary achievement collections without placing every seasonal challenge into the same permanent list. It also gives players a clearer view of what belongs to the main game, what belongs to DLC, and what was tied to a limited period.
Games already supporting Achievement Sets
A handful of games already support Achievement Sets in the Steam Client beta. The 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.
For now, the feature depends on developer support, so it will not automatically reorganize every game in a Steam library. Developers must update their games and add the collections they want players to see.
The latest Steam client beta now combines those collections with clearer progress bars, separate base game and DLC tracking, friend comparisons, and archived seasonal sets. For players chasing complete records, the biggest change is simple: finishing the base game can remain a 100 percent accomplishment even when new DLC achievements arrive later.
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