Highlights
Steam is experiencing issues with its digital storefront, causing problems for users trying to download games and connect to servers.
Steam has a track record of occasional problems, but overall, it is a dependable platform trusted by gamers worldwide. The recent surge in reported issues seems to be diminishing, with the problem mainly impacting downloads rather than gameplay.
Steam is currently experiencing issues, evident from a surge in user complaints about difficulties with the digital storefront. Although it is generally a reliable platform favored by many gamers, Steam has encountered problems in the past. An instance of this occurred in February 2023 when numerous users were frustrated by a service disruption coinciding with the highly anticipated release of Sons of the Forest, the sequel to the survival horror game The Forest.
Established in 2003 by Valve, Steam has gained prominence as a renowned game developer boasting iconic franchises such as Portal, Half-Life, Counter-Strike, and Left 4 Dead. Initially, Steam served exclusively as a client and storefront for Valve games. However, in 2005, the platform expanded to include games from other publishers. Subsequently, in 2007, Steam attracted major publishers like Eidos Interactive and Capcom, followed by Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, THQ, and Activision in 2008.
There has been a recent surge in the number of Steam users encountering problems. Downdetector reports that users are mainly facing difficulties in downloading games, as well as experiencing issues with server connections and login. Molly Carroll, the PR and communications director at Larian Studios, made a playful tweet implying that the company had caused Steam to malfunction. This might be due to the high demand for downloading the popular RPG game Baldur's Gate 3, which officially launches today as it exits the early access phase.
The reports of Steam issues have significantly increased from an average of 3-4 reports per hour to over 300. However, it seems that the number of reports is gradually decreasing, indicating that the problem may have been resolved. Despite this, Steam has not made any announcements regarding these problems. Considering that there are more than 30 million Steam users worldwide, the current number of users experiencing issues can be considered negligible. Fortunately, the problem primarily affects downloads, so those who enjoy the many popular multiplayer games on Steam should not be significantly impacted.
The Steam outage is being reported from various locations across the continental United States, with the highest number of reports coming from major cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Hopefully, this won't affect the majority of gamers who are planning to download Baldur's Gate 3.
