Aussie adult gamers blocked from 18+ content over Steam age checks
Australians have hit back at the world’s largest digital video game storefront over the rollout of a controversial new age-verification system to comply with new federal government rules.
Steam, a platform and marketplace for PC games, introduced the new system after the Age-Restricted Material Codes regulations came into force on September 9.
Steam users in Australia are now required to verify their age to access 18+ content. Facebook/Steam
Instead of allowing standard photo IDs such as driver’s licences or passports, Steam – which is operated by parent company Valve – is requiring players to use a credit card to prove their age, effectively locking out the millions of adult gamers who do not have one.
Tech experts have blamed the federal government for being a “nanny state” over the new age verification process, labelling the rollout a “mess”.
One Steam user told nine.com.au they have been using Steam to purchase games since childhood, and have accumulated an extensive library of games to play. Another said online they are having trouble accessing their stored pages of games including Cyberpunk 2077.
But now, if they want to purchase a new game with an R18+ rating, they would have to apply for a credit card to do so, of which they are unwilling.
Steam is requiring players to use a credit card to prove their age. Facebook/Steam
Some Steam users have reportedly tried using debit credit cards to complete the new age verification step, with little success. Others said they planned to use a VPN to change their country code to try and bypass the requirement.
A spokesperson for the eSaftey Commissioner – which acts as the regulator setting safety standards and enforces age verification laws – has told nine.com.au they are in contact with Valve over the issue.
“Steam providing a single form of age assurance, namely credit cards, which many Australians may not have access to, is unlikely to meet the ‘fairness’ requirement contained in these terms,” the spokesperson said.
“eSafety is engaging with Valve and seeking commitments from the company that it will put in place additional forms of age assurance to give its customers choice.
“Other major online gaming app stores appear to have successfully managed to introduce a broad suite of age assurance options, mostly avoiding the issues being highlighted by Steam customers.”
The spokesperson told nine.com.au Australia’s Age-Restricted Material Code aimed to “prevent children’s online access and exposure to high-impact violence, pornography and content that promotes or encourages suicide, self-harm and disordered eating”.
An eSafety spokesperson said Steam has failed to meet the ‘fairness’ requirement contained in these terms of the Code. Facebook/Steam
“Under the APP Code, companies like Microsoft, Sony, and Valve (the owner of Steam) are required to ensure that from September 9, games on their stores that are classified R18+ are not able to be purchased or downloaded by Australian children,” the spokesperson said.
“eSafety’s view is that service providers should offer a choice of appropriate age assurance methods, giving people flexibility and agency in choosing methods that best suit their circumstances.
“Microsoft allows those purchasing games on its store to verify using a range of methods including email-based verification, facial age estimation, official document scan and credit card. Sony, Apple and Google also provide a variety of options for users to complete age assurance.”
Speaking to nine.com.au, Australian tech expert Trevor Long questioned whether Valve’s restrictive age verification process was a form of protest or “trolling” over the requirement, despite the potential impact on Australian sales.
Multiple Steam users have taken to online forums to suggest this may be a case of “malicious compliance” by the gaming platform, with impacted users being encouraged to lodge complaints with the eSafety Commission and Steam via a “manual support ticket”.
‘eSafety’s view is that service providers should offer a choice of appropriate age assurance methods.’ Facebook/Steam
“There’s no doubt in my mind they wouldn’t have made these changes without the overarching mood of our government to protecting under-18s, and the nanny state enforcement they have created is basically putting companies into a pre-compliance mode that is sometimes confusing and other times restrictive,” Long said.
“The simple fact is, identifying young adults is best done with government ID. We have an outstanding and secure digital ID system that would solve these problems for a vast majority, but the fearmongering around digital ID makes that difficult to enforce.
“That, alongside the government’s failed push for companies to use ‘selfies’ to identify under-16s, which their own researched showed was flawed, and the whole process and system of restricting content for under-18s is a mess.
“Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age legislation makes it clear that any form of identification for under-18s must include options other than a government ID or credit card.”
Value has been contacted by nine.com.au for comment.
An estimated 2.5 million to 3 million Australians actively use Steam. Nearly 17 million Australians play digital games, with PC being one of the top three platforms alongside mobile and consoles.
This makes Steam by far the dominant digital PC gaming platform in Australia, covering roughly 75 per cent of the local PC gaming market.
The codes and how they apply to online gaming
Australia’s Age-Restricted Material Codes are a key requirement under Australia’s Online Safety Act, the eSafety Commission explained.
The codes only apply to apps and games downloaded after September 9, 2026. There should be no change for users’ access to previously downloaded apps and games within the app store.
The commission said users having issues accessing previously downloaded games should raise this “directly with the service providers they purchased them from, as this may be for a range of business reasons”.
“To reiterate, these codes were collectively written by more than 70 members of the online industry, including major gaming studios, device manufacturers and app stores,” the eSafety spokesperson said, adding that Valve failed to participate in the process of drafting the code.
The requirements under the Codes only apply to apps and games downloaded after September 9. Facebook/Steam
“Valve had the opportunity to join the likes of Sony, Microsoft, Blizzard, Ubisoft, Nintendo and the peak body for the gaming sector, the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA), in drafting these industry codes back in 2024, however, they did not contribute to the process.
“Throughout the 28-month codes development process, eSafety regularly communicated to the public and to industry each regulatory milestone along the road to commencement.
“This process has included a number of public consultations held by industry as they developed the Codes, webinars held by eSafety with industry members to explain their obligations under the Codes, direct engagement with individual companies, as well as the release of detailed regulatory guidance for industry by eSafety.”
