Valve confirms your Steam account cannot be transferred to anyone after you die

WTF?! Since its inception more than two decades ago, Steam has become the go-to game distribution platform for PC gamers with more than 132 million monthly active users, according to the latest data. Unfortunately for all these gamers, they won’t be able to bequeath their Steam library to anyone when they die.

The confirmation came from the Steam support staff earlier this month when Resetera forum user delete12345 asked Steam support if he can put his Steam library in his will. Unfortunately for him, the staffer replied that Steam accounts and games are non-transferable and users cannot provide someone else with access to the account or merge its contents with another account. “I regret to inform you that your Steam account cannot be transferred via a will,” he was told.

The gaming community has expressed its collective frustration at the news, with many wondering if there are workarounds that will allow their loved ones to access their games once they pass on. Others, however, have reacted to the news with nonchalance, saying that the policy can be easily bypassed by simply giving another user the login credentials. The inheritor can then change the payment card and other details without notifying Steam about the change in the account ownership.

While this looks like a plausible way to bypass Steam’s restrictive policies, some users have pointed out that this could only be a short-term solution. According to them, an account being in use past the length of a person’s average lifespan could trigger investigations by Steam. Once they determine that the original user is dead or no longer in charge of the account, it could even be terminated as per the company’s terms and conditions.

It remains to be seen if Steam will change its policy on this matter in the future, but as long as the current terms are in place, gamers will not be able to transfer their account to anyone, at least not officially. This issue also highlights the underlying problem with digital purchases in general, something that came under scrutiny more than a decade ago when actor Bruce Willis learned that he could not bequeath his extensive iTunes music collection to his daughters.

It is worth noting here that Valve recently announced a new feature that allows Steam users to share games with their friends and family. Dubbed “Steam Families,” it is currently in the testing phase and only available on Steam beta clients. Once it leaves beta, it is expected to be implemented across the entire Steam ecosystem and replace the current Steam Family Sharing and Steam Family View features.