As Valve’s Steam platform approaches its 21st year, many dedicated PC gamers are beginning to wonder what will happen to their extensive digital game libraries when they pass away. Unfortunately, current legal frameworks suggest that these collections may not outlive their owners.
Non-Transferability of Steam Accounts
A recent ResetEra forum post has brought this issue back into the spotlight. The post cited a response from Steam support concerning the transfer of account ownership via a will. Steam’s reply was clear: “Unfortunately, Steam accounts and games are non-transferable. Steam Support can’t provide someone else with access to the account or merge its contents with another account. I regret to inform you that your Steam account cannot be transferred via a will.”
This isn’t the first time this question has arisen. Last year, a similar query received the same response from Steam support, reinforcing that accounts are non-transferable and can only be shared with family members under specific conditions.
Exploring Potential Loopholes
Despite Steam’s firm stance, some potential workarounds do exist. If users document their Steam username and password and leave these instructions for their heirs, Steam would have limited means to detect this transfer. However, the legal side of things is clear-cut. According to the Steam Subscriber Agreement, users are not allowed to share, sell, or transfer their accounts or subscriptions, except as explicitly permitted by Valve.
There are suggestions within the gaming community that Valve might not block an account transfer if explicitly requested through a will. However, Valve has not made any official comments on this possibility.
An alternative partial workaround involves physical devices. In a 2013 article, Claudine Wong stated that “digital content is transferable to a deceased user’s survivors if legal copies of that content are located on physical devices, such as iPods or Kindle e-readers.” This means bequeathing a computer with downloaded games could allow heirs to access them, although legally downloading them to a new device would be prohibited.
Impact on Game Preservation
The inability to transfer digital game licenses also impacts video game preservation efforts. Last year, Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil spent nearly $20,000 to buy every digital 3DS and Wii U game available, with plans to donate the physical devices to the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF). However, the legal agreements tied to these digital games could complicate the foundation’s ability to legally own and preserve them.
Kelsey Lewin, co-director of VGHF, emphasized the broader implications: “There is no reasonable, legal path for the preservation of digital-born video games. Limiting library access only to physical games might have worked 20 years ago, but we no longer live in a world where all games are sold on physical media, and we haven’t for a long time.”
Community Reactions
Gamers have reacted to this news with a mix of frustration and resignation. Some see a straightforward solution in sharing login credentials with heirs, who can then update payment and account details. However, this might only work in the short term. Extended use of an account beyond the original owner’s lifespan could eventually trigger Steam’s attention. If Steam detects that the original user is no longer in control of the account, it could terminate the account based on its terms and conditions.
Looking Ahead
Whether Steam will change its policy on account transferability remains to be seen. Currently, gamers cannot officially transfer their accounts to anyone. This issue mirrors broader problems with digital purchases, as highlighted over a decade ago when actor Bruce Willis challenged Apple’s policy preventing him from bequeathing his iTunes music collection to his daughters.
