Valve: Steam User Data Secure After Breach

Valve has refuted recent claims suggesting a "major" data breach on its Steam platform, firmly stating there was "NO compromise" of Steam's infrastructure.

Following concerns raised by reports of potentially exposed user records affecting 89 million accounts, Steam's internal investigation revealed only outdated SMS verification codes had been leaked - none containing sensitive personal information.

In an official communication published on Steam, Valve clarified: "Our analysis of the leaked samples confirms these were expired one-time codes from past SMS authentications, along with phone numbers that weren't linked to Steam accounts. No passwords, payment details, or other private information was exposed."

"These obsolete verification codes pose no risk to account security. Remember - any critical account changes via SMS always trigger email confirmations or secure alerts through our messaging system," the company emphasized.

Valve seized this moment to reinforce security best practices, urging gamers to activate Steam Mobile Authenticator for enhanced two-factor protection, calling it "the most reliable method for receiving critical account security notifications."

With data breaches becoming increasingly common and Steam's massive userbase exceeding 89 million accounts, player concerns were understandable. The gaming industry witnessed its most notorious security disaster in 2011 when PlayStation Network went offline for weeks, compromising 77 million user accounts.

Corporate data remains equally vulnerable. Most recently in October, Pokémon creator Game Freak experienced an intrusion exposing current/former employee information and internal development plans. Sony disclosed similar incidents in 2023 affecting approximately 7,000 personnel records, while December saw Marvel's Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games suffer a devastating leak of confidential materials.