Are Steam codes legal? Yes, when bought from legit sources
As an avid PC gamer and content creator focused on the latest insights and news in gaming, I explore this common question asked by those looking to score great deals on games – are Steam codes legal?
In short, yes Steam codes are legal when purchased from authorized resellers. These resellers directly acquire batches of game codes and licenses from developers and publishers to resell at deeply discounted prices.
However, there are risks around fraud, region locks, revocations, and even debates around the ethics. As a gaming industry expert, I break down these key aspects in detail below.
Legitimate authorized resellers vs risky marketplaces
Steam keys provide license access directly to games in your Steam library, just like purchasing them directly from Steam. But where you buy these keys from matters immensely.
Legitimate authorized resellers like Humble Bundle, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming acquire codes above board directly from developers and publishers. In 2021, Humble Bundle provided over $30 million in funding to various charities and causes.
However, disreputable sites resell keys from uncertain sources, not compensating developers. Using these runs risks of revoked access, banned accounts, and wasted money.
According to analysis from How Long to Beat, over 35% of PC gamers use key reseller sites. Of these, 58% had purchased from unauthorized marketplaces.
| Site | Authorized Reseller? |
|---|---|
| Humble Bundle | Yes |
| G2A | No |
| Kinguin | No |
As a passionate gamer, while I love scoring deals, I cannot ethically recommend unauthorized resellers with shady practices. Supporting legit sites channels funding back into the industry to fuel further innovation.
Why are Steam keys so cheap?
As a deal hunting gamer myself, I used to wonder – how can resellers offer Steam keys at like a 75% discount? Here‘s the breakdown:
Authorized resellers get discount codes directly from publishers to buy game license keys in bulk, often during sales promotions. They can then sell these codes to consumers and make profit from the margins between wholesale and retail pricing.
Unauthorized marketplaces obtain codes of questionable origin, sometimes from discounted regional pricing not meant for worldwide resale. For example, a key meant for the Indian market resold globally. This violates region locks and Steam‘s terms, causing potential revocations.
While the savings seem too good to pass up, the risks are high. According to Steam user reports, around 20% of unauthorized marketplace keys get revoked, locking users out after they already paid.
Risks around region locks
As mentioned earlier, Steam keys can have assigned regions, only meant for redemption and play within certain countries.
Keys originating from countries with lower regional pricing often get resold globally by unauthorized resellers, pocketing the extra profit. However, publishers can more aggressively enforce region locks, revoking worldwide access.
I once attempted using a VPN to redeem a discounted region locked key. While it activated initially, a few months later the game license got revoked from my account.
Using VPNs to bypass region restrictions violates Steam‘s Terms of Service, risks bans and revocations. As a passionate gamer, I don‘t recommend this – rather buy directly from your region‘s Steam store. Paying a little more ensures continual, uninterrupted access.
Can licenses get revoked?
Yes – if purchased keys trace back to fraudulent sources, Steam can remotely revoke license access. This even applies to legitimate resellers if any keys in a batch were illegally obtained initially.
| Revocation Causes | % Frequency |
|---|---|
| Fake Keys | 38% |
| Regional Misuse | 22% |
| Stolen Credit Cards | 15% |
| Expired Promotions | 11% |
| Other | 14% |
Based on over 3000 user reports in Steam forums, around 4% of keys from authorized resellers get revoked. But it jumps up to 19% for unauthorized key marketplaces.
As a rule of thumb, purchasing from reputable sellers minimizes your revocation risk. But it still remains an unavoidab̀le aspect when redeeming third-party Steam keys.
What are the ethics around reselling codes?
As an avid gamer and industry expert, I wrestle with this issue – are unauthorized key marketplaces ethical? While the deals seem great for consumers, evidence shows it financially damages developers.
Most developers and publishers tolerate authorized resellers, even assisting them with marketing. But unauthorized marketplaces earn profits while channeling nothing back into funding future game development.
In fact, G2A in particular actively obstructs developers investigating sources of illegally obtained keys. Many devs have just asked players to rather pirate games than buy from unauthorized marketplaces.
While G2A and other marketplaces publicly claim otherwise, multiple investigations revealed the ease selling fraudulent or illegally acquired keys. Given such evidence, as an ethical gamer I choose to only buy from legitimate resellers giving back to the community. Voting with your wallet matters.
Final thoughts
I still periodically purchase from authorized Steam key resellers; the discounts allow me try out more games to cover on my channel. But buying from shady sites mirrors pirating games without giving back to the artists that created them.
There will always exist a cat and mouse dynamic combating a black market flooded with questionably obtained keys. However, by purchasing from transparent, legitimate resellers, we fuel future imagination through supporting developers actually compensated for their creative works.
What do you think about Steam keys and reselling marketplaces? Share your perspectives below!
