After sharing their father's battle with terminal cancer, a Steam user called on Valve to allow accounts to be passed on to a family member or close friend following a user's death. As of this writing, it is currently against the Steam terms of service to conduct account trading or transfers, though Steam's Family Sharing can be utilized to gain access to certain titles.
As the top PC gaming storefront, Steam's selection of games grows each day. Additionally, Steam hosts seasonal sales to tempt users to add more games to their growing backlog of PC titles. Despite the growing popularity of digital distribution compared to physical game copies, buying a game on Steam is a double-edged sword. While digital distribution is a convenient way for gamers with a high-speed Internet connection to download and install games, it also means that Steam and other storefronts can revoke game licenses at their complete discretion.
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What Happens To Someone's Steam Library When They Die?
While a California law has forced Steam and other storefronts to plainly disclose that they sell game licenses to users, that does not address other lingering issues that digital distribution can present. On the official Steam subreddit, a Reddit user named Top-Flight5486 said that Steam should allow accounts to be passed on after a user's death, and said that their father had only two to three months to live as a result of cancer. Top-Flight5486 added that gaming was an escape for their father during his cancer treatments, but stated that his collection of games could die with him. As it stands, Steam does not allow any account transfers, sales, or trades. While Top-Flight5486 acknowledged that Valve may have legal reasons for not doing so, their suggestion caught the attention of other Reddit users.
In response, most users offered their sympathies to Top-Flight5486 and their father about the situation. Other users pointed out some potential workarounds, including saving any account information and associated emails as a way to keep the collection going as long as possible. Another suggestion recommended Steam's Family Sharing function. While limited, Steam Family Sharing would allow a user to grant access to compatible titles to any eligible user added to the group.
It is possible that Steam does not offer game collection inheritances due to the legal risks involved. Only time will tell if Valve will make any changes to its policies regarding a user's death.
