Steam Has Locked Out Games With The LGBTQ+ Tag From Being Searched In China

Steam has made a change for their Chinese users, that we possibly should have expected.

RESETEra user Neha shared the news in a new forum post:

Currently, if you use a Mainland China Steam region account and try to filter/search for games with the LGBTQ+ tag, Steam directly displays a message saying it cannot be shown due to local laws and regulations.

The restrictions are triggered by China region account settings. However, games that have the tag can still be viewed and purchased normally.

This may surprise gamers who have enjoyed games made in China such as Genshin Impact and Marvel Rivals. But those games were already being made in such a way that they follow these laws and regulations.

If anything, it’s surprising that this has happened only now. These regulations have been in effect since 2016, and affected not only video games, but movies and TV shows made in China for a Chinese audience.

It’s unlikely that Valve will reverse this move, as they may then have to leave the Chinese market instead. But we’ll see if Valve makes an official statement about it.