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Short answer: Steam separates achievements into a required base-game set and optional DLC sets. DLC achievements do not increase the base game’s completion total. A season pass is only a bundle that grants access to the DLC listed on its store page; it does not create its own achievement set or guarantee that every achievement for the game is covered. To know exactly what you will receive, compare the game’s achievement-page set filters with the DLC and season-pass ownership lists.
How Steam separates achievement sets
Steamworks gives every game a Base game achievements set. Achievements that a developer has not assigned to another set belong to that base set. This is the set associated with the core application and is the one most players mean when they say they want to complete the game.
Developers can also create additional achievement sets. A set can be restricted to owners of a selected DLC, so Steam can show achievements for an expansion, map pack, character pack, or another add-on separately from the core game. Valve’s Steamworks documentation states that “Every game has a Base game achievements set” and that DLC sets “do not count toward completion of the base game or any other set.”
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| Set or purchase | What it represents | How completion is counted |
|---|---|---|
| Base game set | Achievements assigned to the main application rather than another set | Completed independently as the game’s base set |
| DLC achievement set | Achievements assigned by the developer to a particular add-on | Shown and completed separately; it does not add to the base-game set |
| Season pass | A purchase bundle for specified current and future DLC | Has no achievement set of its own; completion depends on the individual DLC included |
The separation is deliberate. Someone who owns only the base game should not be shown as missing achievements that require an expansion they cannot access. Conversely, buying an expansion does not rewrite the base set; it gives you access to another set if the developer created one.
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What qualifies as DLC, and does every DLC have achievements?
Steamworks describes DLC as additional content tied to a base application. Examples include expansions, new maps or levels, new characters, artbooks, and wallpapers. These categories do not automatically receive achievements. Achievement support is a developer decision, and a package can contain substantial playable content without adding a single achievement.
When a developer does add achievements, the configuration determines where they appear. A small cosmetic package may have no set at all. A large expansion may have its own set restricted to owners of that expansion. In other cases, the developer may leave new objectives in the base set, although the achievement-page labels and the developer’s configuration are the authority for that particular game.
Do not infer achievement coverage from the word “DLC,” the size of an expansion, or the presence of a season pass. Check the game’s current achievement page and the store description for the specific package.
What a season pass actually includes
Valve defines a season pass as “a pack of current and future content (DLC) that customers can buy with a single purchase.” It is a commercial bundle, not a special achievement type. The pass grants the entitlements described on its store page; each included DLC keeps its own content and, where applicable, its own achievement set.
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Steam requires a season-pass page to identify the included DLC and the expected timing of future releases. Treat that list as an ownership checklist. A pass may include several already released packages, announced future packages, or both. It might exclude a later expansion, a deluxe upgrade, a soundtrack, or content sold under a different pass. The name of the pass alone is not enough to establish full achievement coverage.
| Situation | What the pass does | Achievement result |
|---|---|---|
| Released DLC listed as included | Grants the entitlement for that package, subject to the store terms | You can access its separate set if the developer created one, but you still must earn the achievements |
| Future DLC listed as included | Promises access when that specified content is released | Its achievements, if any, are unavailable until the content and set are published |
| DLC not listed on the pass page | Not established as part of the bundle | Do not assume its achievements are covered |
| DLC with no achievement set | Provides the content only | There are no additional Steam achievements to complete for that package |
How to tell which achievements belong to the base game
Steam exposes set information in both the desktop client and the Steam Community website. Labels and layout can change, so use the current interface for the title you are checking.
- Open the game’s achievement page. In the Steam Client, open your Library, select the game, and choose its achievements or “View All Achievements” link. You can also open the game’s achievement page through the Steam Community website.
- Open the set filter. The page displays progress and completion for each available set. Select the set labelled for the base game, then note which achievements are listed there. Sets with the name of an expansion or other add-on are separate sets.
- Record the DLC set names. Make a list of every additional set shown. A set can be restricted to owners of a particular DLC, so it may not appear for someone who has not purchased that package.
- Check the relevant store pages. Open each DLC’s page and the season-pass page. Match the set names or expansion names to the packages listed as owned or included. The pass page’s included-content list is the controlling evidence for bundle coverage.
- Recheck after major updates. Developers can add, reorganize, or retire content. If the achievement page and an older guide disagree, use the current Steam pages and the current ownership status.
The set filter is more reliable than a third-party total because it shows how Steam is accounting for that title at the time you inspect it. It also prevents a common mistake: treating the total number of achievements visible across every set as the number required for base-game completion.
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No. A purchase changes your content entitlement; it does not unlock achievements. You must play the base game and each included DLC and satisfy the requirements for their individual achievements. A season pass can give you access to more sets, but it cannot award the achievements automatically.
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Nor does a pass necessarily cover every achievement associated with the game. Its coverage is limited to the DLC named on the pass page. A future package may be included but not yet released, leaving its set incomplete or unavailable. A later expansion can also be sold outside the pass. Completion-focused players should therefore distinguish three separate questions:
- Does the base game set contain all of the core achievements you want?
- Which DLC sets exist, and which of them require ownership of a particular package?
- Does the season pass include every released and future DLC package associated with those sets?
If the answer to the third question is uncertain, buying the pass is not a guarantee of a complete achievement catalogue. You may need to purchase an omitted DLC separately, or wait for a future package that the pass promises but has not delivered yet.
How completion percentages work
Steam reports progress for each achievement set. A DLC set is counted toward a player’s completion only when the player owns the DLC, according to Steamworks documentation. This ownership rule prevents an unowned expansion from permanently lowering the completion percentage shown for a base-game player.
Because DLC sets are separate, finishing the base set can show 100 percent for the base game even while one or more owned DLC sets remain unfinished. Conversely, a player who owns no DLC should not treat the absence of DLC sets as evidence that the base game has fewer achievements than the developer published; those achievements are simply outside the player’s current entitlement.
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There is no universal Steam-wide achievement count. Totals, set names, ownership restrictions, and the treatment of older content are specific to each title and can change after updates. Use the current game’s achievement page rather than a general rule or an archived total.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A purchase-check checklist for completionists
- Start with the base set: confirm the set labelled as the base game and note its completion status.
- Enumerate additional sets: use the achievement-page filter to identify every DLC or add-on set currently visible.
- Map sets to products: match each set to a named DLC on the Steam store. If the relationship is unclear, do not count that package as covered until the store description or developer information clarifies it.
- Read the season-pass contents: verify every released package and the stated future releases. Do not rely on a marketing label such as “complete” or “ultimate” without the itemized list.
- Check ownership: make sure the DLC is in your Steam account, not merely wish-listed, installed from another account, or present in a bundle you do not own.
- Allow for future changes: treat announced content as pending until it is released and its achievement set appears on the game’s current page.
Common points of confusion
A large expansion has no extra achievements
That is possible. DLC content and Steam achievements are separate features. The expansion can add levels, characters, or other content while leaving the achievement catalogue unchanged.
The DLC appears in my library, but its set is missing
Confirm that the package is activated on the same Steam account and that the developer actually created a set for it. Some DLC has no achievements, and a newly released set may not appear until the game or Steam synchronizes its data.
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Achievement sets and associated content can change after updates, and older or retired content may be handled differently from current releases. Compare the guide with the current Steam achievement page and store listing before counting those entries.
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The pass lists future content but my completion remains incomplete
Purchasing future access does not make unreleased content playable or its achievements earnable. Your entitlement can be active while the corresponding set remains unavailable until the promised DLC launches.
The total number on a website is higher than my base-game total
That total may combine the base set with one or more DLC sets. Use Steam’s set filter to separate the figures; only the base set is relevant to base-game completion.
The practical rule
For any specific Steam game, identify the base set first, list every DLC set separately, and then compare those sets with the season pass’s itemized contents. The pass buys access to listed DLC; it does not create achievements, unlock them, or guarantee coverage of content sold outside the list. Exact achievement counts and completion requirements are title-specific, so the current Steam achievement and store pages are the final check before you buy.
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