- Steam is cautiously adding Web3 games of varying capabilities to its storefront.
- The Epic Games Store has around 20 Web3 games launching on its marketplace this year.
- Steam’s guidelines have barred blockchain/crypto/NFT games since 2021.
With 2025 being a breakout year for high-quality on-chain gaming, Steam’s marketplace is slowly but surely being populated with Web3 games.
Now, as major titles such as Gunzilla’s Off The Grid, The Bornless, and Sparkball, all launching on Steam, the world’s most popular gaming gateway appears to be testing the boundaries of its 2021 ban on crypto and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
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Battle Royale shooter Off The Grid (OTG) took the industry by surprise when it became the first Web3 title to launch on the PlayStation 5, which has its own strict guidelines for games featuring blockchain, crypto, or NFTs.
Then, it defied expectations by becoming the first crypto-linked game to launch on Steam in years, marking a significant leap forward for Web3 gaming studios hoping to gain mainstream traction.
Since 2021, Valve’s Steam compliance guidelines have ruled out Web3 tech. Under “what you shouldn’t publish on Steam”, Valve has included:
“Applications built on blockchain technology that issue or allow exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs.”
Despite operating on the GUNZ network, featuring its own crypto, and being able to turn in-game assets into NFTs, OTG has carefully positioned its Web3 features as an entirely optional extra.
Unlike many titles that launched in 2021, which required a crypto wallet, crypto, and a few NFTs to get started, newer games like OTG, the upcoming Might & Magic: Fates, and others are opting to build games that do not require crypto know-how.
Perhaps this is the type of game that Steam is happy to onboard at present—titles with optional, or scaled-back, Web3 features.
Steam’s renewed optimism around Web3 may also come as an indirect result of competition from industry rival, Epic Games Store, which has dozens of Web3 titles launching on its storefront in 2025.
Fresh Launches
Cathedral Studios, the studio behind the upcoming action horror FPS The Bornless, partnered with one of Web3 gaming’s leading firms, Immutable, in 2022. Notably, looking at the game’s FAQs, it explicitly states it is not a blockchain game.
It wasn’t a Web3 title to begin with, and chose to adopt Immutable’s tech to bring NFTs into the game in the form of weapons, skins, and other in-game digital assets.
However, Cathedral also says it is exploring blockchain tech for “interested community members” and not something they’re actively developing. Furthermore, they back Steam’s restrictions despite thinking that it’s a cool tech fundamentally.”
“So no, it’s not a blockchain game – but yes, we think there are cool ways to use it further in the future.”
Then, you have similar launches like Sparkball from blockchain gaming startup, Worldspark Studios.
Sparkball is a Rocket League / League of Legends (LoL) sports brawler that also began life as a traditional video game project, but has since joined the Somnia blockchain to support on-chain tournament rewards and crypto wagering between players.
Sparkball is live on Steam Next Fest from June 9 to June 16, 2025 –
The Grey Area
Whilst some offer optional Web3 extras that don’t affect gameplay or outcomes, and others say they’ll look to add blockchain features later on, Steam appears to handle Web3 gaming launches on a case-by-case basis.
Evidently, not all Web3 games are made equal, and the industry has come far since the 2020/2021 mania when NFTs and speculation dominated the blockchain gaming scene.
Adjusting with the times, Steam appears to be cautiously testing the waters and extending the limitations of its anti-crypto policy.
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