As shown by a snapshot of Steam’s developer rules and guidelines that was attached to the message, games “based on blockchain technology that issue or enable exchange of cryptocurrencies or non-fungible tokens” were not permitted to be published on the platform.
It was said that “Steam’s perspective is that things have worth and that they do not allow stuff that have real-world value on their network,” the developer explained.
Community: A few minutes ago, we were notified that @Steam will be kicking *all blockchain games* off the platform, including Age of Rust, because NFTs have value. Behind the scenes, we’ve had good communication and have been upfront with Steam. #blockchaingames #NFT
1/4 pic.twitter.com/W4pR3Xl63q— Age of Rust (@SpacePirate_io) October 14, 2021
Valve’s apprehension about in-game goods acquiring real-world worth may be influenced in part by gambling regulations in its home state of Washington, where the company is based. After the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that virtual chips in the social casino game Big Fish Casino qualified as “a item of value” under Washington law, the game itself was declared to be an unlawful gambling business in 2018.