Steam · Steam Subscriber Agreement · View original document ↗

Mandatory Arbitration Clause

High severity Uncommon · 37 of 343 platforms
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Recent governance activity Steam recorded 2 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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This analysis describes what Steam's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This clause structures the procedural mechanism for dispute resolution by requiring arbitration instead of judicial proceedings and by prohibiting collective proceedings. It establishes King County, Washington as the arbitration venue and requires proceedings to be conducted in English.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

High Apr 18, 2026

The updated agreement no longer explicitly discloses that Steam Wallet funds held by Japanese users will expire six months after being added, or that expiration dates can be reviewed in the Steam Wallet. The removal of this disclosure eliminates the transparency mechanism previously available to Japanese subscribers regarding fund expiration timelines and monitoring options. Japanese law may still impose expiration requirements on stored funds regardless of contractual disclosure, but the agreement no longer notifies users of this expiration mechanism.

View change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users operating under these terms are required to pursue disputes individually through arbitration rather than through court systems or collective legal actions. The clause applies to all disputes arising from the agreement or use of Steam services.

How other platforms handle this

Jasper AI Medium

You and Jasper agree to resolve any disputes through final and binding arbitration, except as set forth under Exceptions to Agreement to Arbitrate below. The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement. Arbitration will be administered by the Amer...

Teachable Medium

You and Teachable agree to resolve any disputes through final and binding arbitration, except as set forth under Exceptions to Agreement to Arbitrate below. You also agree that disputes will only be resolved on an individual basis and not as a class, consolidated, or representative action.

Substack Medium

Any dispute arising from or relating to the subject matter of these Terms shall be finally settled by arbitration in San Francisco County, California, in accordance with the Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. ("JAMS") then in effect, by ...

See all platforms with this clause type →

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
DISPUTE RESOLUTION. PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY, AS IT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS. If you have a dispute with Valve, please contact Valve first at https://help.steampowered.com/ so we can try to resolve it. If we can't resolve the dispute informally, all disputes arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or with your use of the Steam services shall be finally resolved through binding arbitration under the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce by one or more arbitrators appointed in accordance with the said Rules. YOU AGREE THAT YOU MAY ONLY RESOLVE DISPUTES WITH VALVE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, AND MAY NOT BRING A CLAIM AS A PLAINTIFF OR A CLASS MEMBER IN A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. CLASS ARBITRATIONS, CLASS ACTIONS, PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTIONS, AND CONSOLIDATION WITH OTHER ARBITRATIONS AREN'T ALLOWED. The arbitration shall take place in King County, Washington, U.S.A., the arbitration shall be conducted in the English language, and the arbitral decision may be enforced in any court.

— Excerpt from Steam's Steam Subscriber Agreement

Applicable regulations

FAA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Steam Subscriber Agreement
Entity
Steam
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 10, 2026
Last verified
May 10, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-006073
Document ID
CA-D-00181
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
a48c504d9332997c76ae325e1e850bd8a71b90c3047d8b060770411f740081f4
Analysis generated
May 10, 2026 16:03 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Steam
Document: Steam Subscriber Agreement
Record ID: CA-P-006073
Captured: 2026-05-10 16:03:09 UTC
SHA-256: a48c504d9332997c…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/steam/steam-subscriber-agreement/mandatory-arbitration-clause/
Accessed: June 10, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Steam's Mandatory Arbitration Clause clause do?

This clause structures the procedural mechanism for dispute resolution by requiring arbitration instead of judicial proceedings and by prohibiting collective proceedings. It establishes King County, Washington as the arbitration venue and requires proceedings to be conducted in English.

How does this clause affect you?

Users operating under these terms are required to pursue disputes individually through arbitration rather than through court systems or collective legal actions. The clause applies to all disputes arising from the agreement or use of Steam services.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 37 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Steam?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Steam.