The development of new, high-performance reduced activation materials is increasingly recognised as one of the key enabling technologies required for the advancement of civil fusion power. To comply with the fusion ethos of no material entering the permanent active waste disposal route, reduced activation steels have been developed and are considered the leading materials for fusion reactor’s blanket structural materials. The manufacturing technologies and database for the current leading reduced activation steels have reached a maturity where basic design and implementation can be addressed. However, there remain concerns with these materials not only because the irradiation database on these alloys is incomplete, but because the current operational temperature for these materials does not enable them to be utilised in optimised plant designs. An indication of the requirements of these steels along with various proposed methods for improving reduced activation steels are critically assessed, and some indications given on future paths for progress.