There is no guaranteed achievement-reset recipe that works for every Steam game. A game’s progress, Steam achievements and online statistics can be stored separately. Resetting one does not necessarily reset the others.
Decide what you actually want to reset
| Goal | What to check |
|---|---|
| Start the campaign again | The game’s new-game/save options. |
| Remove unlocked Steam achievements | Whether the publisher provides or supports an achievement reset. |
| Reset online rank or statistics | The game’s server/account rules. |
| Test achievements in your own game | Steamworks developer APIs and a suitable testing setup. |
Start with the game’s supported controls
- Identify the exact game and the information you want to reset.
- Read its settings and publisher support guidance.
- Back up saves or settings before using a supported reset that erases data.
- Check cloud-save and online-account behavior.
- Use the provided reset and check the result before deleting backups.
Turning off Steam Cloud is not itself an achievement reset. Likewise, uninstalling a game doesn’t mean its information stored on a server will be removed.
What the Steamworks API proves
Valve documents ResetAllStats, which can reset a user’s stats and optionally achievements for the relevant game. Valve describes it as typically intended for development testing and says the changes are persisted to the server.
This is a developer API, not a promise of a universal consumer reset button. A game may also award achievements again based on restored progress or its own backend.
Why old console tricks need caution
Older guides refer to Steam console commands such as achievement_clear and reset_all_stats. Don’t assume those commands work with every current Steam version and game. They can involve statistics as well as achievements, and using the wrong app ID can change the wrong game’s data.
If the publisher does not support the operation, avoid downloading an unknown unlock/reset utility to force it. There is no guaranteed rollback for server-side changes, and a local save backup may not restore them.
For a fresh playthrough
Use the game’s supported new-game or separate-save feature when that meets your goal. For an achievement problem rather than a reset, note the game version, what should unlock the achievement, and your cloud and account setup for the game’s support team.
Reviewed October 12, 2026, using the sources linked above.