Steam may finally be arriving in China next week. As first noted by SteamDB founder Pavel Djundik, both the Chinese Dota 2 and CS:GO websites have been updated to notify players that February 9 will be the start date of a “Steam Platform test.”
Both Dota 2 and CS:GO currently have their own dedicated launchers for Chinese users. However, starting on February 9, that launcher will no longer allow users to play their respective games and instead will direct Chinese players to download Steam. Players will log in using their old launcher credentials and then be immediately required to complete their Steam China registration.
All previous account data, stats, and unlocked cosmetics will all transfer over to Steam automatically. Any outstanding cash balances in either Dota 2 or CS:GO will transfer over as well, or players can request a refund from Valve’s Chinese partner, Perfect World Entertainment.
As a platform test, this likely means that Steam China won’t be rolling out all at once. Or we might see the wider adoption of Steam starting on Tuesday.
The main difference between Steam and Steam China is the censorship. Certain words and phrases like Tiananmen Square and Winnie the Pooh are automatically censored. Other differences include a five-second “healthy gaming advisory” on startup and a game-time limit for younger players.
Valve had previously promised Steam China would release in 2021 during their year-end review, but they never said it would be this early in the year. We’ll find out what other cyber dystopian additions were added to the Chinese Steam client in the coming weeks.
Back in the rest of the world, Steam is hosting its February edition of the Steam Games Festival. From now until February 9, you’ll be able to play demos, watch livestreams, and sit in on developer Q&As for over 500 games. Go check ‘em out and find your next indie darling.
Source: Twitter
