Valve is now explicitly disclosing that you don’t own the games you buy from its Steam online store. The company has added a note on the payment checkout screen stating that “a purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam,” as reported earlier by Engadget.

There comes a point in most experienced Steam shoppers' lives where they wonder what would happen if their account was canceled or stolen, or perhaps they just stopped breathing. It's scary to think about how many games in your backlog will never get played;

In a story first picked up by, then subsequently followed up on by Engadget, the site has highlighted the fact that the next time you’re about to buy a game on Valve’s digital storefront, you’re not technically purchasing at all.

Following a law that may change how games are bought online, Steam has updated its messaging with a new warning when making a purchase.

Whenever you purchase a game on Steam, you’ll now be met with a warning, stating that you're buying a license and not the game itself.

Gamers looking to add new titles to their Steam library are being met with a new message clarifying that purchasing a digital game grants them a digital license to the game, but ownership of the game itself. Valve implemented the warning ahead of a recently passed California law, which is set to go into effect in 2025.

Valve will now warn players they're only buying a license to a game on Steam, not actual ownership of the game, ahead of new California legislation.

You don't own the games in your Steam library. Going forward, you'll be reminded of this fact every time you buy a game from the Steam digital storefront. The Steam checkout page now features the following notice: "a purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam.

Have you noticed a new Steam message explaining your recent game purchases? It comes courtesy of a new California law.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

Have you ever bought an app or game from a digital storefront, only for it to suddenly disappear and become inaccessible without warning? It’s both confusing and frustrating, which is why some governments are stepping in and hoping to make things clearer for consumers.