Valve, the company behind the popular gaming platform Steam, has restricted over 2500 accounts after a single negative review was marked as “Helpful” by 2439 users and received a total of 437 rewards. The incident was first reported on Slashdot, a tech forum site, and has sparked outrage among Steam users.
The review that caused the restriction was posted on the Steam store page for Warlander, a fantasy-themed online multiplayer MOBA. The game has been listed as having “Mixed” reviews on Steam, with several negative reviews at the bottom of the page. The review that was marked as “Helpful” pointed out the game’s “shady anti-cheat system,” alluding to possible data collection and intrusive software.
It is worth noting that the review had been up for almost three months before a Steam moderator took it down. While a screenshot of the review is available, the text has been hidden, likely as a result of the ban. The restriction prevented affected users from upvoting or downvoting any Steam reviews for 30 days.
Steam users who were affected by the restriction attempted to contact Valve, but were met with a default response and were unable to get the vote ban lifted or shortened. The incident has led some users to question the effectiveness of the platform’s review system as a whole.
While there are still negative reviews criticizing Warlander’s anti-cheat system on the store page, the banned review was the most upvoted among them. Valve has yet to make a statement regarding the matter, leaving users to speculate about the company’s motivations and potential future actions.
It is not uncommon for companies to monitor user reviews on their products or services, and many have been accused of manipulating them in the past. However, the restrictions placed on Steam users following this incident have caused some to question the fairness of the platform’s review system and the extent of Valve’s control over it.
In conclusion, the recent incident involving the restriction of over 2500 Steam accounts following a single negative review has sparked concerns about the platform’s review system and Valve’s control over it. While it remains to be seen whether Valve will make any statement or take any action regarding the issue, it is clear that the incident has left a lasting impact on affected users and the wider gaming community.
