Valve has reportedly stopped paying Ukraine-based developers for sales of their games on Steam, citing “the current environment” for its decision.
Today (March 18), Twitter user and video game coder YellowAfterlife shared a screenshot that appears to show an email sent by Valve.
The email says that the user’s banking information has been deactivated, and explains that “due to the current environment, we are unable to send bank payments to Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.”
In a new development, Valve completely ceases sending developer/publisher payments to Russia, Belarus… and Ukraine
This doesn’t impact me personally (since I’m not the “owner” of any paid titles), but for anyone relying on Steam as their source of income in these trying times, pic.twitter.com/Ix6YnJM0Xj
— Vadym ???????? (@YellowAfterlife) March 18, 2022
“Until the bank information is corrected, Valve will be unable to make payments to you,” reads the email.
YellowAfterlife says that “this doesn’t impact me personally (since I’m not the ‘owner’ of any paid titles”, but clarifies that it would affect “anyone relying on Steam as their source of income in these trying times”.
Yesterday (March 17), the same email seems to have been shared by Ukraine-based developer Stas Shostak, who asks “is Ukraine under some sanctions too or [are] you just being an ass?”
Shostak added: “Literally the same night Steam cut Ukraine from payments [the] first Russian rocket hit my city. It’s metaphorical in some funny way, isn’t it?”
Hey @valvesoftware @Steam are you okay?
My country was attacked by Russia and because of this you decided to deprive me of a source of income? pic.twitter.com/xkcZMxdzP0
— Ternox Games ???????? STONKS-9800, Taimumari, Bakumari (@Taimumari) March 17, 2022
Solo indie developer Ternox Games also shared an image of the same email, and asked “my country was attacked by Russia and because of this you decided to deprive me of a source of income?”
A fourth developer in Ukraine, LoopyMood, has also reported receiving the same email.
While a slew of companies in the games industry – including Activision Blizzard, EA and CD Projekt Red – have halted sales in Russia and Belarus, Valve’s inclusion of Ukraine is not something that’s been done elsewhere.
Valve is yet to comment on the decision to halt payments to developers in Ukraine, though NME has reached out for a statement.
In other news, Gran Turismo 7 continues to be unplayable, due to “extended server maintenance”. Earlier in the month, PlayStation stopped sales of the racing simulator in Russia.
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