Steam
Weighted across nine legal categories. Lower is worse.
Executive summary
The Steam Subscriber Agreement provides a structured framework for account management, licensing, and dispute resolution, largely preserving court access while deferring detailed privacy and indemnification provisions to external policies. While it offers clear age restrictions and statutory carve-outs for certain jurisdictions, it contains aggressive unilateral termination rights, broad intellectual property licenses, and restrictive refund policies that warrant consumer caution.
Category breakdown
2 of the nine categories are not addressed by this document, so they are left out rather than scored.
Acceptance of Terms & Scope
Contract formation and service boundaries
Users explicitly accept terms during registration and order confirmation, with clear age verification prohibiting under-13 accounts. The scope is narrowly defined around Steam services, content, hardware, and virtual items without vague future-service creep.
Key findings
- Explicit acceptance tied to registration and transaction confirmation
- Clear minimum age requirement of 13
- Well-defined scope covering client software, games, and marketplace features
Evidence from the document
You become a subscriber of Steam ("Subscriber") by completing the registration of a Steam user account. This Agreement takes effect as soon as you indicate your acceptance of these terms.
Recommendations
- Add a plain-language summary or interactive checklist at onboarding
- Clarify how third-party game EULAs interact with this master agreement
User Accounts
Registration, suspension, and termination
Valve reserves the right to terminate accounts or subscriptions immediately without notice or reason, and denies refunds upon cancellation or enforcement action. There is no explicit appeal mechanism, cure period, or data export provision before closure.
Key findings
- Termination permitted without prior notice
- No refund policy for terminated accounts or unused wallet funds
- Account activity and charges remain the holder's sole responsibility
Evidence from the document
You acknowledge that Valve is not required to provide you notice before terminating your Subscription(s) and/or Account.
no refund, including of any Subscription fees or of any unused funds in the Steam Wallet, will be granted.
Recommendations
- Require advance written notice and a reasonable cure period for non-payment or minor violations
- Mandate data export options before deletion and clarify human review for enforcement actions
Intellectual Property & UGC
Content ownership and licensing
Users retain ownership of their uploaded content but grant Valve a perpetual, worldwide license to modify, create derivatives, and commercially exploit it for platform operations. The license only terminates if Valve breaches and fails to cure within 14 days, and derivative works are owned solely by Valve.
Key findings
- Users keep copyright ownership of original UGC
- Broad, perpetual license covers modification, distribution, and commercial use
- Derivative works created by Valve are exclusively owned by the company
Evidence from the document
you grant Valve and its affiliates the worldwide, non-exclusive right to use, reproduce, modify, create derivative works from... for the entire duration of the intellectual property rights.
Valve is the sole owner of the derivative works created by Valve from your User Generated Content
Recommendations
- Narrow the license strictly to necessary operational and promotional purposes
- Specify that all licenses automatically terminate upon account deletion
- Provide clearer revenue-sharing metrics for commercially distributed Workshop content
Payment & Subscriptions
Billing and subscription management
Auto-renewal is triggered by continued use rather than explicit affirmative consent each cycle, and wallet funds are strictly non-refundable. However, the agreement acknowledges EU/UK statutory withdrawal rights and provides 60-day notice for wallet limit changes.
Key findings
- Recurring payments authorized via continued use
- Steam Wallet funds are non-refundable and non-transferable
- Statutory withdrawal rights for EU/UK consumers are explicitly recognized
Evidence from the document
by continuing to use the Recurring Payment Subscription you agree and reaffirm that Valve is authorized to charge your credit card
funds added to the Steam Wallet are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Recommendations
- Require explicit opt-in checkboxes for auto-renewal and send renewal reminders
- Allow simple online cancellation matching the original signup method and offer pro-rated refunds for prepaid periods
Limitation of Liability
Risk allocation and legal protection
Liability is excluded to the maximum extent permitted by law, explicitly waiving claims even for negligence, fault, or breach of warranty. Statutory consumer protections are preserved for EU/UK/Australia/NZ, but US consumers face broad exclusions without a meaningful monetary cap.
Key findings
- Excludes liability for negligence, fault, and consequential damages
- Carves out mandatory statutory rights for several major jurisdictions
- No fixed dollar cap or practical remedy structure for US users
Evidence from the document
EVEN IN THE EVENT OF VALVE’S OR ITS AFFILIATES’ FAULT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR BREACH OF VALVE’S WARRANTY AND EVEN IF IT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Recommendations
- Explicitly preserve claims for gross negligence and willful misconduct across all jurisdictions
- Introduce a reasonable monetary liability cap and require conspicuous formatting for limitation clauses
Modification of Terms
How agreements can be changed
Valve may unilaterally amend terms with 30 days' email notice, and failure to cancel constitutes acceptance. Changes apply prospectively, but rejected amendments trigger account cancellation with no proration or refund of accrued fees.
Key findings
- 30-day advance notice required for material amendments
- Silence/failure to cancel equals acceptance of changes
- No pro-rated refunds offered when rejecting updated terms
Evidence from the document
You will be notified by e-mail of any amendment to this Agreement made by Valve at least 30 (30) days before the effective date of the amendment.
Your failure to cancel your Account prior to the effective date of the amendment will constitute your acceptance of the amended terms.
Recommendations
- Publish a dated changelog and version archive for transparency
- Offer pro-rated refunds for prepaid subscriptions when users reject material changes
Governing Law & Disputes
Jurisdiction and conflict resolution
Consumers retain the right to pursue claims in court without mandatory arbitration or class-action waivers. However, exclusive jurisdiction is locked to King County, Washington courts, which may impose travel and venue burdens on international or distant users.
Key findings
- Court litigation preserved; no forced arbitration or jury waiver
- Exclusive venue set to King County, Washington for non-EU/UK users
- EU/UK subscribers benefit from local governing law
Evidence from the document
all disputes and claims between you and Valve (including any dispute or claim that arose before the existence of this or any prior agreement) shall be commenced and maintained exclusively in any state or federal court located in King County, Washington, having subject matter jurisdiction.
Recommendations
- Allow consumers to file suits in their home jurisdiction or small claims court
- Permit remote proceedings or virtual hearings to reduce geographic barriers
Ex-TerCo provides automated analysis of legal documents for informational purposes. This is not legal advice. Terms can change at any time.