Steam’s Trading Cards will complete their beta phase this Wednesday, June 26th at 2 p.m. EDT. Valve has said that more games will continue to receive Trading Cards after the feature launches officially to the public, and new features will follow post-release.
Steam Trading Cards are collectible cards earned or “dropped” during Steam gameplay or collected via trade or sale on the Steam Community. Upcoming features include Trade Offers and the Card Binder, a throwback to old-school card collector binders that is accessible via a user’s Steam profile.
Completing a set of cards for a game will let you craft a Game Badge that unlocks community rewards. A crafted Game Badge is no different from a regularly-earned Game Badge on Steam – save for its rewards. When you craft a badge, you also unlock tradable community items like a game-themed profile background, custom emoticons or discount coupons. Collect another set of cards for the same game to level up your Badge and unlock another reward.
Craftable Game Badges
Steam now also has a Level feature, a figure encompassing your badges and accomplishments on Steam. Participating members can view their Level by hovering over their avatars. Every badge you craft comes with 100 XP, and the more XP you get, the higher your Steam Level rises. At Level 10, you can unlock a specific Showcase that features select accomplishments on your profile (Game Collector, Badge Collector, Achievement Showcase). Other rewards include additional slots added to your friends list.
Custom Showcases on User Profile
Only certain games are currently eligible for Trading Cards in the Beta phase, though more are added every day. The list includes Left4Dead 2, Half-Life 2, Dota 2, Borderlands 2, Team Fortress 2 and Serious Sam. The complete list of eligible games can be viewed on the Trading Cards FAQ page.
The Beta phase is still open, though acceptance is granted on a first-come-first-serve basis.
