Steam will be removing all blockchain games that contain NFTs and crypto, but the reason why remains a mystery]]>Steam, the popular application for purchasing and downloading games, has officially prohibited any blockchain games that contain cryptocurrencies or NFTs from being added to its more than 50,000 listings on the platform.
Under Steam’s Rules and Guidelines for publishers, any “applications built on blockchain technology that issue or allow exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs” are no longer allowed to be distributed via Steam. This means that many blockchain games will be effectively barred from the platform until further notice.
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The move is due to looming loot box regulations.]]>Valve has disabled trading for users in the Netherlands ahead of anti-loot box legislation coming into force in the country.
Dutch users attempting to log in to either Dota 2 or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive today are greeted with a on-screen message from Valve. According to the announcement, players are unable to use the Steam marketplace or trade with other users because of new Dutch laws.
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Try out nine different games during the event.]]>Memorial Day weekend is almost here in the U.S., and Steam is taking advantage of summer’s first holiday by offering free weekends for nine different games.
The Steam Spring Cleaning Event began today and runs until May 28. Each day, Steam introduces several daily tasks that users can complete. Tasks include “Spin Cycle,” where Steam will “pick some random games in your library that you can play to upgrade your badge,” and the “Clear the Backlog” task, which is awarded for playing a game “that you haven’t even played yet.” Finishing a daily task lets Steam users level up the event’s trophies.
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The change could radically change the CS:GO skin gambling scene.]]>CS:GO items traded in the Steam client now have a seven-day cooldown thanks to Valve.
Similar to items bought on the Steam community market, CS:GO items now require users to wait seven days before their items can be re-traded to another user. Valve added the change to CS:GO cosmetics specifically because they noticed “negative unintended uses of trading … such as fraud and scams.”
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Celebrate February with discounts.]]>The Chinese New Year is approaching fast, and Steam fans will be particularly looking forward to the holiday this year. A new tweet from Steam Database claims the next Steam sale will be the Lunar New Year Sale during mid-February.
Steam Database, better known as SteamDB, tracks Steam’s database information via applications and packages, providing an extensive look at Steam updates to both released and unreleased games.
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This comes after the Malaysian government blocked it citizens from accessing the Steam Store.]]>Steam has blocked Malaysian players from accessing Fight of Gods, a fighting game that features a roster of religious and mythic characters. The move was made hours after the Malaysian government issued a DNS block to prevent its citizens from accessing the Steam Store on Friday.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the government’s multimedia regulation office, requested that Steam prevent Malaysian users from downloading the game within 24 hours. Once the deadline passed, the MCMC ordered the issuing of the DNS block. Malaysian players who tried to access the Steam Store were greeted with a message that the site was not available “as it violate(s) the National law(s).”
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Chinese users, rejoice.]]>The landscape of Counter-Strike is changing—in a good way.
In last night’s game update, Valve made Counter-Strike: Global Offensive free-to-play for anyone in China that wants to try out the crafty first-person shooter. Although it wasn’t explicitly stated in the release notes, a code string in the game files shows how it can be accomplished through Perfect World, a game publisher in China much like Steam.
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To the banned cheaters, karma is a bitch.]]>Over 40,000 Steam accounts met the almighty VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat) banhammer yesterday, as the 2017 Steam Summer Sale met its conclusion.
The Steam Database picked up an unprecedented spike in VAC ban numbers, and about 30,000 bans were given before 12pm ET. Normally, about 3,000 to 4,000 VAC bans are handed out per day, but Valve Anti-Cheat detected a monumental number of 40,411 cheating accounts by the end of June 6. The last historic VAC wave was in October 2016, when 15,227 bans took place, according to the Steam Database.
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One of the biggest free-to-play esports just got even easier to pick up and play]]>One of the biggest free-to-play esports just got even easier to pick up and play.
Smite, the online battle arena game by HiRez Studios, is now available on Steam, the massive digital distribution platform created by Valve.
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“Watch friends play, with the click of a button]]>“Watch friends play, with the click of a button.”
That’s the line that enters the newest behemoth into the market of live streaming. Valve is bringing live streaming to their massive digital distribution platform Steam.
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