After a Steam beta appeared to block older content, Valve has reassured users that it won’t stop disable older versions of games.
We wrote about Steam’s coming update last month. The beta test for this appeared to change the way players connected to content delivery networks. Gamers were concerned that the change would block players from switching to older versions of the game.
Archivists, speedrunners and modders were outraged. If the rumours were correct, Steam would be disabling access to legacy builds of games. No more speedrunning attempts for specific builds and mods built on older games would die on the vine.
However, Valve, the company behind Steam, have stepped in to reassure people. According to a statement given to PC Gamer, Steam is not looking to disable access to older versions of games. They wrote:
“What we are working on is an approach on handling edge cases involving unowned content, and helping partners more easily take down builds that need to be removed for things like copyright issues. We’ll have more to share on that work when it’s ready to ship.”
This announcement will be a relief to all those who play legacy builds.
As VG247 noted in their coverage – the statement did hint that there was a bigger announcement coming. It could be that Steam are looking to disable legacy builds which include copyrighted material – the gaming industry is clamping down on this type of content.
What do you think about Valve’s announcement? Are you a modder or speedrunner who uses legacy builds? Let us know via our social media channels.
Don’t forget you can find great games and more on the GameByte Shop! We’ve stocked our store with the latest games, merch and accessories. We might even have a new-gen console or two! Sign up to our newsletter to be notified of our console drops, deals and more. Please note the GameByte Shop is available for UK customers only.
Featured Image Credit: Valve