Steam has reportedly introduced a new restriction that will make it harder for users to purchase games from other regions.
As discovered by SteamDB, Valve has recently allegedly placed a limit on how often users can change their Steam account’s country. Users can now only switch regions every three months, in addition to requiring a payment method that is registered to whichever country a user is purchasing from.
“In a further crack down on people buying games in cheaper regions, Valve added a limit on how often you can change your Steam account’s country,” SteamDB noted. “Country may not be updated more than once every 3 months. Purchases can be completed using a payment method from your current region.”
In a further crack down on people buying games in cheaper regions, Valve added a limit on how often you can change your Steam account's country.
Country may not be updated more than once every 3 months. Purchases can be completed using a payment method from your current region.
— Steam Database (@SteamDB) June 23, 2021
Steam has a regional pricing system that usually offers titles for different prices from country to country, based on the region’s economy and other elements. The new restriction is the latest measure Valve has put in place in order to prevent users from purchasing games at a cheaper price than what’s listed in their home country.
Last July, Valve added a limitation that made it harder for users to change store settings, by requiring purchases to be made using a “payment method from that country”. The company noted that “if your location differs from your current Steam account store setting you’ll have an option to change your store region”.
