Game updates continue to become more frequent and even larger in download sizes, regardless of whether they're single-player experiences or multiplayer-focused. As such, Steam has added new ways for people to manage these patches going forward.
On the Steam blog, Valve details that a default option of letting "Steam decide when to update" will see the client download patches for recently played games while holding off for a few days when it comes to updates for titles not touched for a while. However, it's noted that this may not be enough customization for some people.
Valve showcases how game updates can be customized on Steam, including exceptions for your favorite titles.
As such, you can change this default option to wait until the game is launched to apply an update or just immediately download any updates. The Steam blog points out that circumstances are different for everyone, especially if they have bandwidth limits each month.
