Valve Confirms: No Steam User Data Breach in Hack

Valve has officially refuted recent reports claiming that its Steam platform experienced a "major" data breach, confirming that there was "NOT a breach" of Steam systems.

Despite growing concern among users about claims that over 89 million user records were exposed, Valve's internal investigation concluded that while a limited set of "older text messages" had been leaked, these messages—containing one-time authentication codes—did not include any personal or account-related data.

In an official statement posted directly on Steam, the company clarified: "After analyzing the leaked data sample, we have determined that no customer data has been compromised. The leak consisted of outdated text messages containing one-time codes valid only for 15-minute intervals and the associated phone numbers they were sent to. Importantly, the leaked information does not link those phone numbers to any Steam account, nor does it include passwords, payment details, or other personal information."

The company emphasized that these old SMS messages cannot be used to compromise Steam account security. It also reinforced its security protocols: "Whenever a one-time code is used to change your Steam email or password via SMS, you will always receive a confirmation through email and/or secure Steam messages."

While no breach occurred, Valve used the incident as a reminder for users to enhance their account protection by enabling the Steam Mobile Authenticator. The company noted that this remains "the best way to receive secure notifications about your account and ensure its safety."

Given the increasing frequency of data breaches across the gaming industry, user concerns are understandable. The most notable incident in gaming history occurred in 2011, when the PlayStation Network was hacked, resulting in a month-long outage and the exposure of 77 million user accounts.

More recently, cybersecurity threats have continued to impact major developers and publishers. In October, Pokémon developer Game Freak confirmed a significant breach that exposed internal staff data and development details. In 2023, Sony disclosed two separate breaches affecting nearly 7,000 current and former employees, while in December of the same year, hackers gained access to confidential data from Insomniac Games, the studio behind Marvel's Spider-Man series.