Steam's censorship issues have broken PayPal support in some regions
"In early July 2025, PayPal notified Valve that their acquiring bank for payment transactions in certain currencies was immediately terminating the processing of any transactions related to Steam," Valve writes in a Steam Support page. "This affects Steam purchases using PayPal in currencies other than EUR, CAD, GBP, JPY, AUD and USD."
In a statement to Rock Paper Shotgun , Valve further clarified that the bank's decision to withdraw support for Steam transactions through PayPal was made "regarding content on Steam, related to what we've previously commented on surrounding Mastercard." Opting to terminate Steam transactions means that PayPal had to be disabled as a payment method for multiple currencies.
Engadget has contacted Valve and PayPal for more information on which regions this change impacts, and what other payment options will be available to them. We'll update this article if we hear back.
Valve says it want to offer PayPal payments in those unsupported currencies in the future, "but the timeline is uncertain." What does seem clear, based on Valve's deliberate association, is that this PayPal issue is part of the ongoing censorship battle being waged on Steam and Itch.io.
Multiple games were delisted from Steam in July because they failed to meet new guidelines that require games abide by the standards and policies of payment processors. Because certain NSFW games didn't, they were removed. Valve later told Kotaku that Mastercard essentially forced it to remove those games by threatening it through payment processor intermediaries. And Mastercard was reportedly pressured to do so in the first place by conservative activists who took issue with certain sexually explicit games on Steam.
In this case, a bank that works with PayPal is the weak link, rather than Steam or a payment network, but it's entirely possible that acquiring bank is responding to a similar kind of pressure.
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Engadget
6 hours ago
- Engadget
Steam's censorship issues have broken PayPal support in some regions
If you've been unable to pay with PayPal on Steam, Valve says the limitation has to do with issues one of PayPal's banking partners has with content on the platform, according to Rock Paper Shotgun . Users have noticed PayPal was disabled in some regions as far back as July, and the issue seems like it might be out of both Valve and PayPal's hands. "In early July 2025, PayPal notified Valve that their acquiring bank for payment transactions in certain currencies was immediately terminating the processing of any transactions related to Steam," Valve writes in a Steam Support page. "This affects Steam purchases using PayPal in currencies other than EUR, CAD, GBP, JPY, AUD and USD." In a statement to Rock Paper Shotgun , Valve further clarified that the bank's decision to withdraw support for Steam transactions through PayPal was made "regarding content on Steam, related to what we've previously commented on surrounding Mastercard." Opting to terminate Steam transactions means that PayPal had to be disabled as a payment method for multiple currencies. Engadget has contacted Valve and PayPal for more information on which regions this change impacts, and what other payment options will be available to them. We'll update this article if we hear back. Valve says it want to offer PayPal payments in those unsupported currencies in the future, "but the timeline is uncertain." What does seem clear, based on Valve's deliberate association, is that this PayPal issue is part of the ongoing censorship battle being waged on Steam and Multiple games were delisted from Steam in July because they failed to meet new guidelines that require games abide by the standards and policies of payment processors. Because certain NSFW games didn't, they were removed. Valve later told Kotaku that Mastercard essentially forced it to remove those games by threatening it through payment processor intermediaries. And Mastercard was reportedly pressured to do so in the first place by conservative activists who took issue with certain sexually explicit games on Steam. In this case, a bank that works with PayPal is the weak link, rather than Steam or a payment network, but it's entirely possible that acquiring bank is responding to a similar kind of pressure.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
NKT updates financial outlook for 2025
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CNET
9 hours ago
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What's Free in the Epic Games Store This Week?
Looking to expand your gaming collection with brand new games but without breaking the bank? Then you're in luck, because we've got just the thing for you. With game prices climbing higher and tariffs on the rise, it's understandable to want something for cheap or, if you're lucky, for free. The good news is, there's a great place where you can find free games and pick from many budget-friendly options. Enter: the Epic Games Store. After Epic Games' success with the free-to-play game Fortnite, the company decided to go one step further. In 2019, Epic launched its own store to rival Steam. Unlike Steam, the Epic Games Store offers free games every week, including charming indie titles and big AAA releases. If you're looking to find out how to access these free games, we're here to guide you. First, create a free Epic Games account. After signing up, go to the free games section on the Epic Games Store every Thursday at 8 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. BST) to see the week's selections. The number of free games you receive each week can change, but you'll always get at least one. Keep in mind, there might be some breaks during holidays or days when games aren't announced beforehand. Occasionally, like around Christmastime, Epic surprises us with new free games every day. And the best part? These games are yours to enjoy forever. While the Epic Games Store is a fantastic resource for gamers, it is only available on PC -- so console gamers will, unfortunately, miss out. If you're a Mac user, you'll find games available, but it's a good idea to check that the game is compatible with your device before you download. Nightreign, Doom: The Dark Ages and Black Panther | Obvious Skill Issue 5 Nightreign, Doom: The Dark Ages and Black Panther | Obvious Skill Issue 5 Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 31:42 Loaded : 0.31% 00:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 31:42 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Nightreign, Doom: The Dark Ages and Black Panther | Obvious Skill Issue 5 What's the new free game in the Epic Games Store this week? (Aug 14. to Aug. 21) Hidden Folks Hidden Folks/Epic Games Store If you're someone who enjoys figuring out puzzles and don't get frustrated, no matter how long it takes, then Hidden Folks may be the game for you. Developed by Adriaan de Jongh and Sylvain Tegroeg, Hidden Folks is a hand-drawn 2D indie game, and as the title suggests, it asks you to find hidden folks. Deceptively simple, this monochrome, casual game is beautiful in its simplicity, asking players to explore miniature landscapes in their hunt for a specific person. These landscapes aren't just static. They are completely interactive, meaning that you can open a tent, cut through bushes or climb through windows to find who you're looking for. With over 32 hand-drawn areas, 500+ unique interactions and three color modes (sepia, night mode and normal) there's plenty for you to uncover in Hidden Folks. Usually $13, Hidden Folks is available for free via the Epic Games Store. At the time of writing, a review score is not available. However, on rival storefront Steam, its overall rating is "Very Positive," with its most recent score also being "Very Positive." Totally Reliable Delivery Service We're Five Games/Epic Games Store If you're a fan of rag-doll physics and shenanigans that'll have you and your friends laughing for years to come, you should consider grabbing Totally Reliable Delivery Service from developer We're Five Games. Who doesn't love chaos? With Totally Reliable Delivery Service, you and your friends (both online and multiplayer) take on the task of delivering anything and everything to your customers. Unfortunately, your limbs are about as useful as floppy noodles, and you'll have to overcome that in order to ensure you deliver the best service possible, even if that means sprinting and tripping every five seconds. However, this isn't as simple as it may sound. If you collide with something particularly hard, there's a good chance you'll be knocked out cold and you'll fail in your delivery. Along with needing to deliver your parcels, there's plenty of different toys, vehicles and other environmental objects that can be used to help you along the way. Usually $15, Totally Reliable Delivery Service is available via the Epic Games Store. At the time of writing, Totally Reliable Delivery Service has a review score of 4.5 out of 5. On rival storefront Steam, its overall rating is "Very Positive," with its most recent score being "Mixed." What will be free in the Epic Games Store next week? (Aug. 21 to Aug. 28) Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge Let me ask you a question: Would you turn down the chance to work at a frog refuge? And if so, here's my follow up question: What's wrong with you? Armor Games Studio dared to ask the question of what it would be like to have a frog sanctuary, and for you, as someone who works there, to look after all the frogs. The answer is Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge, a cozy, creature-collecting game that describes itself as "relaxing" and for "casual" gamers. Players are able to collect over 500 frogs and add them to their safe haven. As well as breeding and ensuring each frog has a comfortable home, you'll also be photographing these little critters and decorating their home with native plants and other accessories. Whatever your amphibian friends need to thrive, you'll be there to help make it happen. But it isn't just caring for the frogs, you'll also be getting your boots muddy to help preserve the frog's wetland habitat. From digging ponds to let water roam to planting crops to harvest, you'll have plenty to do in this charming little game. Usually $20, Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge is available for free next week via the Epic Games Store. At the time of writing, Kamaeru does not have a review score on the Epic Games Store. On rival storefront Steam, its overall rating is "Very Positive," with its most recent score being "Very Positive." Strange Horticulture If you've ever thought, 'I'd like to try my hand at being a mysterious little proprietor at a local plant store,' then you'll be happy to know that such a game exists. Enter Strange Horticulture from developer Bad Viking. With a name like Strange Horticulture, you shouldn't be surprised to know that your journey begins in the quaint, but quirky town of Undermere. As the new horticulturist, your job is to find and identify new plants. This seems simple enough, but before you know it, you're thrust into an occult mystery that goes back decades. A puzzle game at heart, how players interact with their surroundings directly influences how the story unravels. You'll also affect the colorful cast of characters you meet, so make sure you're satisfied with your choices before you do something you might regret. Will you discover Undermere's dark mysteries, or will they -- and the malignant forces of the town -- unravel you first? Usually $15, Strange Horticulture is available for free next week via the Epic Games Store. At the time of writing, Strange Horticulture has a review score of 4.6 out of 5. 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