Steam Bans all Blockchain Games, Mir 4 May be Booted off Platform
Valve announced yesterday games that use blockchain technology or allow users to purchase or transfer NFTs won't be allowed on Steam. This was revealed when Valve added a new rule to their "What you shouldn't publish on Steam" list. The list specifically says:
Applications built on blockchain technology that issue or allow exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs.
While there aren't many blockchain games on Steam yet there is one major title, Mir 4. Mir 4 launched on Steam on August 25, 2021 and has averaged 34,800+ players online at any given time with a peak concurrent playerbase of 47,067 (reached earlier today). While Mir 4 bills itself as a crypto powered MMO, the core gameplay here is near identical to many other auto-play mobile MMORPGs. The only 'crypto' aspect of the game is that players can earn a valuable resource in game called DRACO which can be used in-game to upgrade characters or be traded on the blockchain.
I suspect Valve decided to ban all blockchain games from their platform out of practicality rather than any ideological issues with the technology. When games contain valuable in-game resources like NFTs and Crypto, there's a huge incentive for hackers to target player accounts which can create a customer service nightmare for Steam, especially if they're facilitating in-game payments which Steam routinely does.
Crypto and NFTs also have an aura of sketchiness around them and are often compared to gambling, which Steam wants to distance itself from.
In an effort to win over users though, Epic Games announced that these Blockchain games are welcome on the Epic Games Store.
