Buzz
Steam (international version) is on the verge of being prohibited in China.
China is notorious for its strict regulations on gaming, allowing its citizens to play only 103 government-approved games through the Steam platform dedicated to China. Due to the extremely limited selection on the Chinese Steam version, some Chinese gamers have employed various methods to access the global Steam version, enabling them to play a wider array of games. However, it seems that the global Steam version has been completely banned in China.
According to reports from TheGamer and The Verge, the global Steam version is currently inaccessible in China. It's unclear whether the Chinese government has indeed banned the global Steam version or if the platform has been temporarily taken down for some other reason or has experienced a DNS attack.
It would be unsurprising if China officially bans Steam, as the Chinese government has banned numerous games and gaming services over the years, implementing strict regulations on gaming in the country. Just this year, China has witnessed actions such as banning the famous PUBG eSports championships and restricting the gaming time for minors in the country.
Fortnite ceased operations in China on November 15 this year. Chinese children are currently limited to playing games for three hours a week, and virtual currency is prohibited. For new games to be approved, they must not contain elements deemed anti-China, including the presence of 'effeminate men.' Two months after these restrictions, there was an announcement that no games had been approved.
Dota 2 and CS: GO, two of the most popular games in China, are both present on Steam China and are unlikely to be affected by this decision. However, many other games, especially those from smaller developers relying on China's massive gaming community, might not be as fortunate.
The impact of the international version of Steam being banned in China on games and the gaming industry is uncertain. However, the inability of Chinese gamers to access major online games could potentially benefit the international gaming community. Since a majority of hack/cheat incidents originate from China, restricting Chinese gamers from playing online games might contribute to a cleaner gaming environment.
