0:02
Vietnamese gamers have surely noticed
0:04
an issue that has been heating up
0:05
recently. Steam is becoming
0:07
increasingly difficult to access in
0:09
Vietnam. In the past, Steam being
0:10
blocked by internet providers was
0:12
nothing new. Many users could just
0:16
change their DNS to Cloudflare 1.1.1.1
0:18
or Google 8.8.8.8, or use other network
0:21
methods to access Steam relatively
0:23
normally. But the situation seems
0:26
different now. In some cases, even
0:30
after changing DNS, Steam’s
0:31
connection remains unstable, the Store
0:33
fails to load, the Community doesn't
0:35
work, or the app struggles to connect
0:37
to servers. So what is happening, and
0:40
more importantly, why is Steam being
0:42
blocked in Vietnam when it is one of
0:44
the world's largest PC gaming platforms
0:46
? Today, we will analyze this issue and
0:49
try to predict what strategy Valve
0:51
might choose for the Vietnamese market
0:53
in the near future. How has Steam been
1:02
blocked in Vietnam previously? First,
1:05
it must be clarified that Steam was not
1:07
just recently blocked in Vietnam. As
1:09
early as 2024, Vietnamese users
1:10
encountered issues where they could not
1:12
fully access the Steam Store and
1:14
certain platform services. At that time
1:16
, representatives from Vietnamese
1:18
regulatory agencies stated the cause
1:20
was related to games being offered on
1:21
Steam in Vietnam without proper
1:23
licensing. Additionally, authorities
1:25
had reached out to Steam multiple times
1:27
but received no response. And because
1:29
Steam did not comply with regulatory
1:30
requirements, technical measures were
1:32
applied through Internet Service
1:34
Providers. This is significant because
1:36
it shows us that the issue between
1:38
Vietnam and Steam from the start was
1:39
not merely a technical network problem.
1:43
In other words, changing DNS only
1:45
solves one layer of the problem. If
1:47
blocking is implemented at other
1:49
network layers, then changing DNS is
1:51
naturally no longer a universal key. So
1:55
why has Steam become such an issue?
1:57
This is the part worth discussing.
1:59
Steam is essentially a global game
2:01
marketplace. Valve built a platform
2:03
where tens of thousands of developers
2:05
can list their games for sale to users
2:07
in many different countries. This model
2:09
is extremely convenient. A developer in
2:11
the US can easily put their game on
2:13
Steam. A studio in Japan can bring a
2:15
game to Steam. A developer in Europe
2:17
can also bring a game to Steam. And
2:19
Vietnamese users just need to open
2:21
Steam, pay, and download the game. But
2:24
the problem is that national laws don't
2:26
operate like a global storefront. In
2:29
Vietnam, providing online games falls
2:31
under a specific regulatory framework
2:33
involving licensing, age rating,
2:35
content management, and provider
2:37
liability. Decree 147/2024/ND-CP,
2:42
effective from December 25, 2024,
2:45
further reinforces the management
2:47
framework for internet and online
2:50
gaming services. And this is where the
2:53
two models begin to clash. Valve wants
2:55
Steam to be a global platform, while
2:57
Vietnamese regulators want services
2:59
providing games to Vietnamese users to
3:01
have clear local legal liability. Both
3:03
sides are operating from two different
3:05
frames of reference. Is the reason
3:08
simply that Valve doesn't pay taxes?
3:10
This is where many online analyses tend
3:12
to oversimplify things. The story
3:14
shouldn't be reduced to "Vietnamese
3:16
publishers must pay taxes." And Valve
3:18
shouldn't be blocked just because of
3:20
that. The reality is more complex. The
3:22
issue here is not just about whether
3:24
Valve pays taxes or not. The bigger
3:26
question is, who bears the legal
3:27
responsibility for games provided to
3:29
Vietnamese users? A domestic publisher
3:31
must comply with regulations on
3:33
licensing and content. Meanwhile, Steam
3:35
offers a catalog of tens of thousands
3:37
of products from thousands of different
3:39
developers. And if Vietnam’s full
3:42
game management mechanism were applied
3:44
to the entire Steam catalog, it would
3:46
clearly be a massive challenge. That is
3:48
the real bottleneck. Vietnam is not the
3:51
first country to face issues with Steam
3:53
. One notable example is Indonesia. In
3:56
2022, Indonesia restricted access to
3:58
Steam along with several other major
4:00
platforms because they had not
4:02
completed system registration
4:04
requirements. What is notable is that
4:06
Steam subsequently responded and
4:07
engaged in discussions with Indonesian
4:09
regulators. This teaches us a very
4:12
clear lesson. Valve does not always
4:14
choose to confront local governments.
4:16
When a market is important enough,
4:18
Valve can certainly bear the costs of
4:20
complying with certain legal
4:21
requirements to maintain operations.
4:25
But in Vietnam, the current situation
4:27
is different. If regulators continue to
4:29
require Steam to have an appropriate
4:31
legal framework to provide games in
4:32
Vietnam, Valve will have to consider a
4:34
very simple question. Is the Vietnamese
4:37
market large enough to justify that
4:39
cost? And this is the key to predicting
4:41
Valve's strategy. In my opinion, we
4:45
should not rush to conclude that Valve
4:46
will definitely withdraw from Vietnam.
4:48
Nor should we conclude that Valve will
4:50
definitely partner with a domestic
4:51
publisher. The realistic possibility
4:54
lies in Valve balancing revenue,
4:55
compliance costs, and legal risks.
4:58
Steam is a global company. If operating
5:01
officially in Vietnam means having to
5:02
build a separate legal, censorship,
5:04
licensing, and management apparatus for
5:06
this market, Valve will certainly have
5:08
to calculate whether that investment is
5:10
worth it. And this is why I believe
5:12
there are three notable scenarios. The
5:17
first scenario: Valve continues to sit
5:19
tight. In my opinion, this is the most
5:21
notable scenario. Valve may not be in a
5:24
hurry to set up a separate Steam system
5:26
for Vietnam, instead maintaining Steam
5:28
as a global platform and accepting that
5:30
access might be limited at certain
5:32
times. This is also an option
5:34
consistent with how Valve has operated
5:36
all along. A relatively lean operation
5:38
that serves the global market. If the
5:40
Vietnamese market is not yet large
5:41
enough to create a strong economic
5:43
incentive, Valve may decide that the
5:45
cost of complying with the entire
5:46
regulatory system in Vietnam is not
5:48
truly attractive. To put it bluntly, if
5:50
the cost of solving the Vietnam problem
5:52
outweighs the profit the market brings,
5:54
Valve may simply choose not to solve it
5:56
. The second scenario: Valve finds a
5:59
partner in Vietnam. This is the
6:01
interesting scenario. Valve could
6:03
absolutely find a domestic entity to
6:05
act as a legal point of contact or
6:06
publishing partner. This model is not
6:09
unprecedented. In China, Steam had a
6:11
Steam China version in partnership with
6:13
Perfect World. However, it is difficult
6:15
for Vietnam to replicate the Chinese
6:17
model exactly because the market scale,
6:19
legal system, and level of control of
6:21
the two countries are completely
6:22
different. But if Valve truly wants to
6:24
expand official operations in Vietnam,
6:26
a local partner could be a solution
6:28
that significantly reduces the
6:29
operational burden. In that case,
6:31
Vietnamese users could continue using
6:33
Steam, but behind the platform, there
6:35
would be a legal mechanism more
6:36
consistent with domestic regulations.
6:40
The third scenario: Valve restricts the
6:42
Vietnamese market. This is the
6:44
worst-case scenario for gamers. Valve
6:46
may choose not to invest in legalizing
6:48
its entire operation in Vietnam. In
6:50
that case, they might limit certain
6:52
features, payment levels, or even
6:54
restrict service provision in Vietnam
6:56
if regulatory pressure increases.
6:58
However, I don't think this is a
6:59
scenario to conclude immediately.
7:02
Because Steam already has a certain
7:04
number of users in Vietnam and
7:05
generates revenue from them. Unless
7:08
there is a mandatory requirement to
7:09
withdraw completely, closing the market
7:11
themselves is clearly an unattractive
7:13
option. So, will Steam be completely
7:17
blocked? Personally, I don't think we
7:19
should assume that Steam will disappear
7:21
from Vietnam overnight. What we are
7:24
witnessing may just be a new phase in
7:26
the tug-of-war between a global
7:27
platform and domestic management
7:29
mechanisms. And the fact that changing
7:31
DNS is no longer as effective as before
7:33
is also a notable sign. Because if
7:35
access restriction measures are
7:36
implemented at various layers, then DNS
7:38
is only a very small part of the story.
7:41
This is also why I think Vietnamese
7:42
gamers should prepare themselves
7:44
mentally that Steam might continue to
7:45
operate. But the experience of
7:47
accessing Steam in Vietnam may no
7:49
longer be as stable as before.
7:51
Ultimately, what will Valve choose? If
7:53
I have to predict, I lean toward the
7:55
possibility that Valve will continue to
7:59
observe the market and the enforcement
8:01
level of regulatory agencies. If
8:02
pressure intensifies and the Vietnamese
8:04
market is attractive enough, the option
8:06
of partnering with a local business
8:07
will become worth considering. And if
8:09
the compliance costs are too high
8:10
compared to revenue, Valve may continue
8:12
to maintain its current status. And
8:14
this is the worrying part. Because this
8:16
battle is no longer simply about which
8:18
DNS to switch to for accessing Steam,
8:20
but is becoming a larger question of
8:22
whether Steam wants to become an
8:23
officially regulated platform in
8:25
Vietnam or accept operating in a gray
8:27
area. The final answer will depend on
8:29
both Valve and the Vietnamese
8:30
regulatory authorities. As for us
8:33
gamers, the only thing we can be
8:34
certain of right now is that Steam
8:36
hasn't disappeared yet, but the era
8:38
where simply changing your DNS solves
8:39
everything is likely coming to an end.
8:43
And if Valve truly has to choose
8:44
between spending money to comply with
8:46
Vietnamese law or accepting a
8:47
restricted market, we will soon know
8:49
just how important the Vietnamese
8:51
market is to them. What do you guys
8:55
think about Steam becoming increasingly
8:57
difficult to access in Vietnam? Will
8:58
Valve choose to cooperate to pave an
9:00
official way, or simply ignore it and
9:02
let gamers find their own way to access
9:04
it? Leave your thoughts below, because
9:06
this will certainly be a story with
9:07
many more developments in the coming
