Steam Bans Blockchain Games with NFT or cryptocurrencies, Epic Games Welcomes Them

By Shiela Bertillo

Valve, a video game developer and PC game store, bans all blockchain games that feature non fungible token (NFT) or cryptocurrencies on its video game digital distribution service, Steam. 

The news came from the recently updated Steam distribution onboarding guidelines which specifically states to ban any “applications built on blockchain technology that issue or allow exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs.”

Although, Valve nor Steam gave reasons for banning NFTs and cryptocurrencies from the distribution service, the gaming community are given an insight through a series of tweets from SpacePirate, developer of blockchain game Age of Rust, which was priorly distributed by Steam. 

According to SpacePirate, “Steam’s point of view is that items have value and they don’t allow items that can have real-world value on their platform.”

“While I’m disappointed for Age of Rust being removed, the point is more to the fact that blockchain games as a whole are going to be removed. This is a setback for all,” it added.

On the other hand, Steam’s rival Epic Games and its CEO Tim Sweeney stated that they are open to letting games that use blockchain technology and NFTs onto its PC store. In a tweet, the CEO stated that they welcome games that use blockchain technology “provided they follow the relevant laws, disclose their terms, and are age-rated by an appropriate group” and although Epic doesn’t use crypto in their games the firm welcomes “innovation in the areas of technology and finance.”

This article is published on BitPinas: Steam Bans Blockchain Games with NFT or cryptocurrencies, Epic Games Welcomes Them