Single player games might require age verification if they use Steam under EU Kids Act’s current draft, according to MEP’s senior policy adviser
The European Commission’s proposed EU Kids Act introduces mandatory age verification requirements that could affect how single-player games are distributed through Steam and similar platforms in Europe. The draft legislation aims to regulate access to social media, AI chatbots, and online video games for users under 15 through a tiered account system requiring age verification for all users.
According to analysis by a Member of European Parliament’s senior policy adviser, the current wording of the proposal appears broad enough to include single-player games distributed via Steam, despite their lack of multiplayer or social features typically associated with child safety concerns. The exception carved out in the draft is narrow: only games “accessible or purchasable exclusively through physical media” would be exempt from the age verification requirement.
This interpretation has raised concerns within the gaming industry about the practical implications of applying age verification systems to offline games that don’t inherently involve social interaction or online communication. The requirement would represent a significant shift in how digital games are regulated in the EU and could affect both publishers and platform operators like Valve, which operates Steam.