Steam Limits User Accounts Behind $5 Paywall

Steam users who have spent less than $5 on the site will be unable to access certain features due to a recent update from Valve.

In an effort to combat spamming and phishing, Valve now requires users to spend $5+ to send friend invites, vote on Steam Greenlight, and use various other features. The full list includes:

  • Sending friend invites
  • Opening group chat
  • Voting on Greenlight, Steam Reviews and Workshop items
  • Participating in the Steam Market
  • Posting frequently in the Steam Discussions
  • Gaining Steam Profile Levels (Locked to level 0) and Trading Cards
  • Submitting content on the Steam Workshop
  • Posting in an item's Steam Workshop Discussions
  • Accessing the Steam Web API
  • Using browser and mobile chat

Activating games on Steam or launching free-to-play games won't remove the restrictions. User must purchase a game, add funds to the Steam wallet, or purchase a gift for another person.

Steam users who only play games like Dota 2 or Team Fortress 2 might be frustrated, but hopefully the update helps rid the community of troublesome spambots.

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