Steam MCP Server

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Get game news

get_game_news

Read-only

Retrieve recent news and patch notes for a Steam game by appid, filtering to official announcements or developer update notes.

Instructions

Get recent news / patch notes for a game by appid (title, date, author, excerpt, link). By default this mixes the developer's announcements with third-party press feeds; set kind='official' for the developer's own posts only, or kind='patch_notes' for update notes only (posts the developer tagged as patch notes — if that comes back empty, try 'official'). Each excerpt is the first ~400 characters of the post with HTML stripped — follow url for the full text. An unknown/unassigned appid comes back as an empty list rather than an error, the same as get_global_achievements. Get the appid from search_games. No API key required.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "appid": "<appid>"
    },
    "name": "get_game_news"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`kind`	No	all (default) = every feed incl. press; official = the developer's Steam announcements only; patch_notes = update notes only.	all
`appid`	Yes	Steam application id (appid). Get it from search_games.
`limit`	No	How many news items (1-20). Default 5.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`items`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedv0.17.0Oct 25, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / kind

Added value: +{
+  "default": "all",
+  "description": "all (default) = every feed incl. press; official = the developer's Steam announcements only; patch_notes = update notes only.",
+  "enum": [
+    "all",
+    "official",
+    "patch_notes"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

Changed12 schema fields changedv0.14.0Sep 27, 2026
- removedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / author / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / author / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / date / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / date / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / excerpt / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / excerpt / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / feed / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / feed / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / title / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / title / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / url / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / items / items / properties / url / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```
Changed4 schema fields changedv0.12.1Jul 30, 2026
- addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```
- addedInput schema / properties / limit / default
```
Added value: +5
```
- addedInput schema / properties / limit / exclusiveMinimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- removedInput schema / properties / limit / minimum
```
Removed value: -1
```
Addedv0.10.4Jul 26, 2026
Removedv0.9.0Jul 18, 2026
First observedv0.1.0Jun 29, 2026

TDQS

A4.6/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Adds substantial context beyond the readOnly/openWorld annotations: unknown appid returns an empty list rather than an error (with a sibling comparison for calibration), excerpts are truncated to ~400 chars with HTML stripped, and no API key is needed. Slightly short of 5 only because it says nothing about ordering, recency window, or result volume limits beyond the schema's limit cap.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loads purpose and return fields, then the kind semantics, then edge cases — a sensible order with no filler. The sentences are dense (parenthetical clauses stacked), so it is efficient but slightly harder to skim than it could be.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given an output schema exists, the description needn't explain return shape, yet it still discloses the excerpt truncation and how to get full text via url — the one return detail an agent could otherwise get wrong. Combined with error-behavior and auth notes, nothing needed to call it correctly is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3; the description still earns credit by explaining what 'patch_notes' actually means semantically (developer-tagged update notes) and giving the empty-result fallback behavior. It mostly restates the kind enum and does not elaborate on limit or appid beyond the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Get recent news / patch notes for a game by appid') and names the returned fields (title, date, author, excerpt, link). This is clearly distinct from siblings like get_game, get_game_reviews, or search_games, which cover different resources.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly describes the default mixed-feed behavior and the two alternative modes, plus a concrete fallback ('if that comes back empty, try official'). It also routes the agent to search_games for the required appid, leaving no ambiguity about prerequisites.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.