Valve to Discontinue Physical Steam Gift Cards by 2026
Valve will discontinue physical Steam gift cards by the end of 2026 due to ongoing scams, despite previous measures to combat the issue. Existing cards will still be redeemable, but no new physical cards will be restocked. Digital gift cards will remain available.
Key points
- Valve, the company behind Steam, will stop selling physical Steam gift cards in stores by the end of 2026.
- The decision comes after over a decade of physical gift cards being available, with Valve citing ongoing scams as the reason.
- Existing physical Steam gift cards will still be redeemable, but no new cards will be restocked at retail stores.
- Valve has taken several measures to combat scams, including working with law enforcement and adding warnings to gift cards.
- Digital Steam gift cards will remain available for purchase and gifting through Steam.
Valve, the company behind the popular gaming platform Steam, has announced that it will discontinue physical Steam gift cards by the end of 2026. This decision comes after over a decade of physical gift cards being available, with Valve citing ongoing scams as the reason.
According to Valve, scammers have continued to exploit physical gift cards despite previous measures to combat the issue. The company has worked with law enforcement and added warnings to gift cards, but scammers have adapted and continued to target unsuspecting victims.
Existing physical Steam gift cards will still be redeemable, but no new cards will be restocked at retail stores. This means that customers who still want to purchase physical gift cards will need to do so before the end of 2026.
Digital Steam gift cards will remain available for purchase and gifting through Steam. This option will allow users to continue gifting Steam Wallet funds to friends and family without the need for physical cards.
The discontinuation of physical Steam gift cards is a significant change for the gaming community, and it remains to be seen how users will adapt to this new reality.
Sources
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