Steam doesn’t work with VPN? Here’s what to do

by Elena Constantinescu

VPN Expert & Privacy Advocate

December 9, 2020

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Steam has some strict rules against using a VPN, but that doesn’t stop users from trying anyway. It’s only problematic when you get banned or when Steam doesn’t work with your VPN, no matter what you try.

Don’t worry since we’re here to point on the right path. But first, let’s clear the air on Steam’s policy against VPN and proxy usage.

Can you get banned for using a VPN on Steam?

Yes, under certain conditions.

Let’s take a closer look:

”You agree that you will not use IP proxying or other methods to disguise the place of your residence, whether to circumvent geographical restrictions on game content, to purchase at pricing not applicable to your geography, or for any other purpose. If you do this, Valve may terminate your access to your Account.”

Steam Subscriber Agreement

What we can draw from this is that:

• You can’t use a VPN on Steam to bypass geoblocks and access games early
• Similarly, you can’t use a VPN to buy games cheaper

The third part mentions that you can’t use a VPN for any other purpose. However, when a Reddit user contacted Steam support to ask for clarification on this issue, they got the following message:

Playing games or operating Steam while using a VPN is not strictly prohibited.

However, it may affect gameplay and the Steam client itself.

A Steam account will only be restricted for actions that violate the Steam Subscriber Agreement or Steam Online Conduct Rules, so please keep in mind that purchasing games while your VPN is active is a violation of our Terms of Service.

posted by u/hunting_n_fishing on Reddit

This should tell you that it’s OK to use a VPN to stay secure and protect your privacy when using a VPN.

How do I fix VPN not working on Steam?

Change your Steam store country

1. Connect to a VPN server in the country you wish to reach on Steam
2. Launch Steam, click your account, and click Account details
3. Click Update store country
4. Set the new country

Some users have reported that Steam doesn’t work with their VPN when trying to connect to another country.

However, the problem isn’t caused by the VPN.

It’s still necessary to manually update your store location in Steam, even after already connecting to a VPN server from another region.

Avoid using free VPN

Although it’s incredibly tempting, you can’t really trust a free VPN to keep you safe online. They have few VPN servers and rarely work properly. Plus, most free VPNs log your VPN traffic.

It’s essential to turn to a premium VPN service that’s continuously maintained by a team of professionals. An excellent example is Private Internet Access, which has more than 3,300 VPN servers in 48 countries.

PIA supports modern and secure VPN protocols: OpenVPN and WireGuard. It’s one of the best VPNs for reducing ping.

And, if you encounter any connectivity issues with Steam, you can get in touch with the PIA support team using 24/7 live chat.

Private Internet Access

Use a reliable VPN like PIA to avoid connectivity issues when using Steam.

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Conclusion

To summarize, if your VPN isn’t working on Steam, you can fix this problem by changing your store location and allowing Steam traffic on the secure tunnel.

But we also recommend avoiding free VPNs and resorting to a premium VPN service instead, such as Private Internet Access (buy here).