When you get a game through Steam, Valve’s agreement says you receive a license to use the game’s content—not ownership of that content. The agreement’s exact wording is: “The Content and Services are licensed, not sold.” That describes Valve’s contract terms; it does not, by itself, settle every consumer right that may apply under local law.
Do you own the games you buy on Steam?
In the sense of owning the game’s underlying digital content, Valve’s Steam Subscriber Agreement says no: it grants a limited, non-exclusive license for personal, non-commercial use and states that the license “confers no title or ownership in the Content and Services.” You pay for the transaction or subscription, but under the agreement, the resulting access is licensed rather than a transfer of ownership.
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This is Valve’s contractual position, not a complete statement of every consumer’s rights. Mandatory laws may affect how terms apply, and a particular game may have its own end-user license agreement (EULA) in addition to Steam’s platform-wide terms.
What does “licensed, not sold” mean in practice?
Access is tied to your Steam account
The agreement says you need a Steam Account to use the Content and Services, and that you may also need to run the Steam client and maintain an internet connection. This means access can depend on the platform and account, rather than on possession of a standalone copy.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Updates and requirements can change
Valve’s agreement permits automatic updates and warns that a game’s system requirements may change over time. It does not promise future updates, except where applicable law requires them. The agreement’s language does not establish that every game always needs an internet connection; check the specific game’s requirements and offline features.
A Steam license is not transferable
The agreement says subscriptions are not transferable. You therefore should not assume that a game license in your account can be given or sold to another person as if it were a separately owned item.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Can Steam remove a game from your library?
The agreement reserves Valve’s ability to restrict or cancel a subscription in specified circumstances. It says this may happen if you breach the agreement or if Valve ceases providing that subscription to similarly situated subscribers generally. The agreement also includes qualifications relating to applicable law. These terms do not mean Valve can cancel any game for any reason without limits; the contract and any mandatory legal protections both matter.
How California’s AB 2426 relates to digital game purchases
California’s AB 2426 is a disclosure law concerning sellers’ use of terms that may imply consumers have unrestricted ownership of digital goods. A 2026 California Assembly committee analysis reports that the law took effect January 1, 2025, and summarizes conditions for sellers using such language. The analysis is not the statutory text, so it should not be treated as a complete account of the law or as a ruling about every Steam transaction.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
The AB 2426 committee analysis also reproduces a statement from the bill’s author that consumers in reality may have purchased a license that the seller’s terms permit it to revoke. That is the author’s characterization in the analysis—not a universal legal conclusion about all digital purchases or a determination of how the law applies to a particular game.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which terms should you check for a specific game?
Read both the Steam Subscriber Agreement and the game’s own EULA, if it has one. Platform rules describe the broader Steam relationship; the game-specific EULA may add terms for that title. Bandai Namco’s notice about AB 2426, for example, directs readers to both the platform terms and the game’s EULA.
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The agreement establishes Valve’s licensing language, but it does not show what exact notice every customer sees at checkout or whether checkout wording is identical in every region. For a particular purchase, review the terms presented for your location and the game’s own requirements.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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