Business & Technology
Rokky launches free Steam key checker for publishers
Rokky has launched a free Steam key tracking tool for game developers and publishers. The browser extension is aimed at studios that distribute keys through promotions, reviews, and partner campaigns.
Called Steam Key Checker, the product gives publishers visibility into the status of individual Steam keys issued across different channels. Studios can upload a CSV file of Steam CD keys and see whether those keys have been activated, along with related account, date, and batch-tag data.
The launch addresses a longstanding problem for game publishers that rely on Steam keys for marketing and distribution outside Valve’s main storefront. Steam shows aggregate percentages for batches of keys, but publishers often struggle to identify which specific codes remain unused without checking them one by one.
That can create commercial and operational difficulties. Unused keys distributed through bundle offers or partner campaigns can remain dormant for long periods, while some may later appear on grey-market resale sites at prices below the recommended retail price.
Studios also face limits when requesting additional key batches if too many previously issued keys remain inactive. Poor visibility over older distributions can therefore affect a publisher’s ability to secure fresh keys for later campaigns.
How it works
The extension runs in Chrome or Edge and uses a publisher’s existing Steamworks session rather than requiring separate credentials. Traffic is directed only to partner.steamgames.com, and no publisher data or login details are shared with Rokky.
Publishers can use the tool after a campaign ends to identify keys that were never redeemed and revoke them without affecting those already activated by customers. It can also help developers track which partners activated which keys and assess the performance of particular batches.
Rokky operates in the PC game distribution market and works with publishers including Team17, Nacon, and Meta Publishing. It says it partners with more than 200 stores worldwide, focusing on publisher-approved key distribution outside Steam.
The market for game keys has become an important but closely watched part of PC games retail. Publishers often use keys to support press coverage, bundles, promotions, and regional sales through third-party stores, but they can also lose oversight once those keys move through multiple intermediaries.
That loss of oversight has fueled concerns about grey-market activity, where legitimate but unused keys can be resold without the publisher’s control over pricing or timing. For smaller studios in particular, discounted resale can undercut direct sales during a critical launch or promotional period.
Vadim Andreev, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rokky, said the new tool was built in response to those practical issues. “Publishers often face difficulties when requesting new batches of keys from Steam, because a large number of previously generated keys remain inactive. They distribute keys among multiple partners, and after that the process becomes a black box. We built this tool to give publishers visibility into the status of every individual key,” Andreev said.
The decision to offer the product free of charge may also reflect broader competition among service providers trying to win business from independent and mid-sized game publishers. Tools that help manage distribution data, campaign reporting, and reseller relationships have become more relevant as studios seek more direct control over how their titles are sold outside the largest storefronts.
Wider issue
Key management has long been a friction point in the PC games sector because Steam remains the dominant platform for distribution, while many publishers still depend on external channels to widen reach. That creates a split between where keys are generated and where they are marketed, sold, or handed out.
Rokky’s new product is designed to fill that gap by giving publishers a clearer audit trail for each code. For teams running large bundle deals or multi-partner promotions, the ability to match a key to a destination and activation status could reduce the manual work involved in reviewing old campaigns.
Publishers, developers, and key distributors can use the tool to monitor distributed keys and revoke inactive ones when necessary. It runs entirely in the browser with no separate setup, using the publisher’s live Steamworks session.
Britwell Salome Farm Shop, on Red Lion Farm in Watlington, was given a one star rating by South Oxfordshire District Council environmental health officers following a routine visit.
One key problem on the day was the management of food safety, which was deemed to require “major improvement”.
One category noted as being “generally satisfactory”, however, was the cleanliness and condition of both the facilities and building.
Meanwhile hygienic food handling was deemed as “improvement necessary”.
The farm shop was previously handed a five out of five rating in July 2024.
Last month Britwell Salome Farm Shop was named ‘local food and drink champions’ for the south east in the Countryside Alliance Awards 2026.
Ms Mearns said her family, including herself, her husband and their three children, set up at Red Lion Farm in 1993 and took over the chilled unit in the barn when it became vacant in 2008, to begin selling the farm’s meat, including pork, beef and lamb, directly to customers, from field to fork.
The shop also stocks a large selection of other locally produced food, from seasonal fruit and veg from a farm in Stanton St John to local honey from the village, jams and preserves which raise money for Oxford homeless charity Porch, as well as bread baked fresh in Thame.
Britwell Salome Farm Shop was approached for a comment.
The Henley Distillery was slapped with a two-out-of-five food hygiene rating after an inspection by environmental health inspectors in January this year.
Although inspectors deemed the hygienic food handling and management of food safety ‘generally satisfactory’, they deemed the cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building needing necessary improvement.
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This includes having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control to enable good food hygiene.
The company is no stranger to poor food hygiene ratings, given a one-out-of-five food hygiene rating in 2024, and another one in 2025.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail in 2024 the founder and master distiller Jacob Wilson said the low score was unfair and he was shocked by the rating.
He said: ““Unfortunately due to the diverse nature of businesses in South Oxfordshire, they do not have specialists in each field to run their audits which meant our auditor had never even set foot in a distillery before visiting us.”
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The Henley Distillery at Hampstead Farm was opened in 2021 and produces gin and rum in the historic barn in the countryside.
Henley Festival, which is also sponsored by champagne brand Moet and Chandon, is currently taking place, kicking off on Wednesday, July 8 and finishing on Sunday, July 12.
Recognised with awards such as the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group’s SME Business of the Year, the business is a popular tourist attraction with distillery experiences available.
The Henley Distillery has been approached for comment.
Mike Foster, who was born and raised in Kidlington, has written The Financial Times Guide to Starting a Business, which combines practical business guidance with insights into the entrepreneurial mindset.
Now based in Didcot, Mr Foster coaches business owners by reviewing critical aspects of their operations, identifying areas of focus, and developing tailored strategies.
Mr Foster said: “Many start-up guides focus solely on the mechanics of launching a business.
“But I wanted to be brutally honest about the realities and challenges entrepreneurs will face, sharing from my own journey which has included both big successes and a six-figure setback.”
The book is his second publication, following 2023’s 105 Ways to Accelerate Your Business Success.
He also contributes to the community through his work in schools, having served as an enterprise advisor for Enterprise Oxfordshire (formerly OxLEP).
In that role, he supported Didcot Girls School and helped the organisation recruit 40 equivalents in secondary schools across the county.
The new book covers everything from idea development and marketing to finance, legal structures, and operations.
It aims to help readers assess whether they are mentally prepared for entrepreneurship.
Written as a step-by-step guide, the book offers practical, actionable advice and encourages readers to consider the mindset needed to build confidence and avoid common start-up pitfalls.
The Financial Times Guide to Starting a Business is available now in paperback and e-book formats from Amazon, Waterstones, and other major retailers.
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