
Steam is finally coming to China… but gamers think it’s dead on arrival
Fears over censorship could doom PC gaming platform in China
Now Steam is finally coming to China -- and gamers don’t want it.
It should have been a moment for gamers in China to celebrate. But instead what followed was an outburst of anxious comments from gamers who feared that games on the Chinese version of Steam will be censored.

Valve has not revealed any details of how Steam will be run in China, but did say no changes will be made to its existing international operations and services.
Wong said there’s a lot of uncertainty in how games are regulated in China. The approval process, which can last 6 to 9 months, varies on a case by case basis.
“The guidelines are still very general,” he said. “You can’t talk about the party. You can’t talk about the martyrs. There can’t be sexual content… and every word in the interface has to be translated into Chinese.”

The amount of restrictions Steam is likely to face in China is a significant change from how Valve operates the service in the rest of the world. Recently it announced a change saying it would allow anything on Steam -- as long as it’s not “illegal” or trolling.

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For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.
