How to Delete Achievements on Steam: Options Explained

What Are Steam Achievements?

Steam achievements are virtual badges that showcase your in-game milestones and player progression. Players often want to reset them to replay a game from scratch, fix bugged unlockables, or simply clean up their profile. While earning these badges on Steam is a seamless process, removing them requires specific methods and tools. Because earning them is easy but deleting them is not natively supported, you have to rely on alternative approaches to reset your history.

Is There a Native Way to Delete Achievements on Steam?

No, there is no native, official button to delete achievements directly through the client user interface. If you are wondering, can I delete achievements on Steam without extra steps, the answer is unfortunately no. As of 2026, Valve still does not provide a simple toggle or built-in feature to wipe your progress. Because a direct reset button is missing, you must rely on community-created workarounds or specific in-game commands to manage your milestones.

How to Reset Achievements on Steam for PC

If you need to know how to reset achievements on Steam, you generally have two main options on a PC. These methods include using an external community tool or utilizing developer commands built directly into certain games. Both approaches allow you to wipe your progress so you can earn your milestones again.

Using Steam Achievement Manager (SAM)

Steam Achievement Manager (SAM) is a popular, open-source tool that has been used by the community for years to modify unlockables. To use SAM, first ensure that the game you want to modify is completely closed. Download and extract the SAM files to your computer, then run the application. The program will scan your library and display your games.

Select your target game from the list, click the lock icon to lock all achievements, and save your changes. Always make sure you do not have any VAC-protected games running in the background while using this tool to avoid potential security flags or bans.

Using the Steam Console or In-Game Developer Console

If you want to know how to delete achievements on Steam console or through an in-game developer menu, the process depends entirely on the specific game. Many games allow you to open a developer console by pressing the tilde key. Once the console is open, you can type specific reset commands provided by the game developer.

This method is completely safe, but it only works if the developer explicitly included achievement-clearing commands in their game engine. If the command exists, typing it will instantly lock the milestones and allow you to earn them naturally during your next playthrough.

How to Delete Achievements on Steam Deck

To delete achievements on a Steam Deck, you must switch your device to Desktop Mode. Understanding how to delete achievements on Steam Deck involves a few extra steps compared to a regular PC. First, press the power button on your device and select the option to switch to Desktop Mode. From there, you can download a Linux-compatible achievement manager or use a tool like SAM through Proton compatibility layers.

If you are figuring out how to reset achievements on Steam Deck, simply launch the tool in Desktop Mode, select your game, and apply the lock function. Once you are finished saving your changes, return to Gaming Mode, and your profile will accurately reflect your newly locked milestones.

How to Reset Achievements on Steam for a Game: Specific Examples

Understanding how to reset achievements on Steam for a game requires knowing if the title stores progress locally or on secure servers. While global tools work for many titles, some games require file manipulation or specific local resets to ensure your progress does not automatically re-sync.

How to Reset Achievements on Steam Terraria

To learn how to reset achievements on Steam Terraria, you need to locate the game's local files, as the game does not offer an in-game console command for this action. First, you must use the Steam Achievement Manager to lock the milestones on your profile. Then, navigate to your local Terraria folder on your computer.

Find and delete the achievements.dat file located within the Terraria document folder. Deleting this local file ensures the game does not automatically re-sync your old progress the next time you launch it, allowing you to start completely fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to clear achievements on Steam without third-party apps?

You can only clear achievements without third-party apps if the specific game supports in-game developer console commands to reset progress. Otherwise, it is not possible.

How to erase achievements on Steam permanently?

While tools like SAM lock them temporarily so you can earn them again, completely wiping them from your profile history forever is not supported by Valve.

Will I get banned for resetting my Steam achievements?

Valve generally does not issue VAC bans for resetting achievements, provided you do not run the tool while connected to secure multiplayer servers.