Steam users in the UK will need a credit card to access ‘mature content’ games

Valve has started to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act, by rolling retired a requirement for each Brits to verify their property with a recognition paper to entree “mature content” pages and games connected Steam. UK users won’t adjacent beryllium capable to entree the assemblage hubs of mature contented games unless a valid recognition paper is stored connected a Steam account.

While platforms similar Reddit, Bluesky, and Discord person opted for age verification checks utilizing selfies, Valve is restricting its property checks to just credit cards. “Among each property assurance mechanisms reviewed by Valve, this process preserves the maximum grade of idiosyncratic privacy,” says Valve successful a support article. “Having the recognition paper stored arsenic a outgo method acts arsenic an further deterrent against circumventing property verification by sharing a azygous Steam idiosyncratic relationship among aggregate persons.”

In the UK you request to beryllium 18 years of property to get a recognition card, truthful this passes the property checks onto banks alternatively of Valve having to execute them. If you don’t person a recognition paper past you won’t beryllium capable to entree mature contented games oregon pages connected Steam, arsenic there’s nary different mode of verifying your age.

Valve’s determination to necessitate a recognition paper comes weeks aft the UK’s caller age-gating rules person been recovered to beryllium casual to bypass, especially with VPNs. Discord and Reddit’s UK property verification could beryllium briefly defeated by Death Stranding’s photograph mode, but the look scanning tools person since been updated to artifact this bypass method.

Microsoft has besides started rolling retired Xbox property verification successful the UK. While the property verification checks are optional close now, they volition go a request to entree a assortment of Xbox services successful aboriginal 2026, erstwhile further parts of the UK’s Online Safety Act come into force.