Steam will no longer welcome games that involve blockchain-powered cryptocurrencies or NFTs, according to a newly-added rule.
The developer of the game Age of Rust pointed out the new rule on Friday. “A few minutes ago, we were notified that Steam will be kicking all blockchain games off the platform, including Age of Rust, because NFTs have value,” the developer tweeted.
Valve, the company behind Steam, seems to have quietly added the new rule on Thursday, according to the Internet Archive. But so far the company hasn’t explained the reasoning behind the ban. Valve didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the meantime, the developer of Age Rust —a game that has yet to release— claims Valve isn’t comfortable with how NFTs can bought and sold for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
“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 respect their choice, I fundamentally believe that NFTs and blockchain games are the future,” Age of Rust said in a follow-up tweet.
It’s clear that blockchain-powered cryptocurrencies can equate to real-world money. But the lines are less clear with NFTs, which stands for non-fungible tokens. NFTs are often seen as digital collectables, spanning art work, basketball cards, and albums, that’ve been built over a blockchain. The same items can also be worth thousands of dollars or more, depending on the rarity and the demand.
Does that make an NFT any different from an ultra-rare weapon a player has received in a multiplayer game? You can see how Age of Rust would contend there’s little difference. The developer plans on using NFTs to help players trade and sell items in the game. But it seems Valve has no interest in debating the matter, even though the company previously said it wouldn’t censor controversial games over Steam.