Steam now tells users that they're buying a license, not a game

Steam has updated its pre-purchase messaging ahead of a California law that goes into effect next year.

Gamers looking to add new titles to their Steam library are being met with a new message clarifying that purchasing a digital game grants them a digital license to the game, but not ownership of the game itself. Valve implemented the warning ahead of a recently passed California law, which is set to go into effect in 2025.

Steam users began noticing the new message on Steam yesterday. Displayed on the Shopping Cart screen, it states that “a purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam.” This new message clarifies what has already been true of Steam (and other digital storefronts): when you buy a game, you don’t actually own it; you own a license to use it. Because of this, digital goods could potentially be removed from your library if the owner sees fit.

Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law that will require digital markets to explicitly inform users that they’re not buying a product, they’re buying a license for it. The law won’t go into effect until next year, but it looks like Valve is getting ahead of things.

Gamers can expect to see similar messaging pop up in places like the Epic Games Store, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Store in the coming months.