Valve has updated the game purchase page with an important warning. Now users are informed in advance that they are only purchasing access to the license, and not to the game itself.
The reason for this was a law passed in California that came into effect in 2025. It prohibits all online retailers from using the terms ‘buy’, ‘purchases’ and similar concepts that assert ownership of digital goods. Sites like Steam are therefore obliged to warn users in advance that they are only paying for a license.
The law was passed in response to repeated cases of misunderstandings between players and studios. For example, Ubisoft caused quite a scandal when it was removed The libraries crew after the servers went down. Many gamers then accused the company of almost stealing money.
Considering these circumstances, Gabe Newell’s company decided to play it safe and warn users around the world, and not just in the United States.
Previously, Steam changed the rules for displaying user reviews.
RKN blocked Discord, and this was followed by a wave of memes
Source: VG Times