Steam Achievements Just Got a Big Upgrade: Compare Progress With Up to 3 Friends

Ever grinded out every single achievement in a game, only for a DLC drop to tank your perfect completion status? Yeah, we've all been there. Well, Valve just dropped a beta update that finally tackles that pain point head-on.

Announced on the 16th, Steam's new "Achievement Sets" system is now in beta on the Steam client, and it's clearly taking a page from PlayStation's trophy setup. The big idea? Developers can now group achievements into separate sets, so when new content arrives, your old completion records stay intact. Both players and devs can try it out now, though not every game supports it yet. Valve's showcase titles include Dredge, Left 4 Dead 2, and Crusader Kings III, with more games rolling in as developers adopt the new tools.

So how does it actually work? Devs can split achievements into sets, say by single-player versus multiplayer, or by character class. For you, nothing really changes moment to moment — you unlock achievements by playing as usual. But when you browse the achievement page, Steam now shows progress per set, making it way easier to see what you've finished and what's still up for grabs. Each set has its own progress bar, and completing every achievement in a set earns you a "Completed Set" trophy on your profile.

Here's the best part: if a dev adds new achievements to a set later, your original completion record is preserved. They can spin up a whole new set for the fresh content, so returning players can chase the new stuff without losing their old bragging rights. Sets come in two main flavors — base game sets (blue progress bars and trophies, open to everyone who owns the game) and DLC sets (purple, and only counted toward overall progress once you own that DLC).

There's also a third piece: achievement archiving. Devs can archive individual achievements or entire sets, which is handy for seasonal or limited-time event achievements. Archived stuff shows up as gray blocks on your profile, and if you missed the unlock window, you simply won't see those achievements — and won't be blocked from completing a set or hitting full completion because of them. Valve's stance is clear: if players can no longer unlock an achievement, it should be archived.

The new achievement page is accessible from the web game list or your Steam Library game page, letting you check overall progress, per-set progress, and individual achievement info all in one place — no more hopping between pages. Valve also added search filters (by set, by locked/unlocked) and that friend comparison feature, covering rare achievements, completed sets, and DLC set progress. The comparison page shows each player's completed set count and a total based on what they can actually earn — which may differ between friends depending on DLC ownership and archived or time-limited achievements.

On top of that, Valve has tweaked profile activity feeds, game lists, and the library so you can show off completed sets. The "Games Perfect in All Achievements" tab got renamed to "Perfect Games," and now lists games where you've completed at least one achievement set alongside full completions — both can go in your profile showcase. Game lists also flag which titles support achievement sets, and even show games you're playing through Steam Families sharing, so you can compare progress with friends who got their playtime that way too.

Want in? You can join the Steam client beta to try the update, and Valve says it'll keep refining things during the test period. Devs can check the Steamworks blog for how to add achievement sets to their games. So, will you be diving into the beta to flex your completed sets?