Diego Argüello,
Contributing Editor, News,GameDeveloper.com
September 10, 2026
1 Min Read
Multiple Australian Steam users are claiming that Valve as implemented proof-of-age verification to access games classified as R18+.
Australia’s new online safety codes requiring verification for R-rated games and websites came into effect back in March of this year. These extended measures put in place last year that saw under-16s banned from multiple social media platforms.
Now, according to reports on Reddit and IGN, it seems the verification has arrived to Steam. The problem, as noted by users, is that Valve asks for a valid Australian credit card for the verification, and doesn’t seem to accept other forms of payments, like PayPal, or alternatives like a local ID or passport.
“Credit cards aren’t as common in Australia as they are in the US, and plenty of adults here just use debit cards,” reads the Reddit post. “If Steam requires an actual credit card, that leaves those people locked out of even browsing R18+ game pages. You shouldn’t have to apply for credit just to look at a game on Steam.”
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The example included in the post shows the user seemingly wanting to browse the Doom Eternal store page.
