Reports indicate that Valve has blocked the "LGBTQ+" tag on its Steam storefront within China, citing violations of local laws and regulations. Users attempting to access games or content associated with this tag have encountered an error message stating that the content is inappropriate for their region.
The issue was first highlighted on social media platforms like Weibo, where users shared their experiences and the error messages received. One translated post from Weibo on June 24 stated, "Developers, please take note: Steam has now locked the LGBTQ+ tag in the Chinese region. Reverse searches no longer show the game."
The error message provided to users reportedly reads, "An error occurred while processing your request: The content on this page has been identified as inappropriate because it violates local laws and regulations, and therefore cannot be viewed from your current location."
Valve has not yet issued an official statement regarding these reports. However, this action would align with Valve's history of complying with regional laws and content regulations on Steam. Previously, the horror game Devotion was removed from the Chinese Steam store in 2019 due to content deemed politically sensitive, and developer Ebi-hime noted Valve's moderation of her yuri visual novels on the Russian storefront earlier this year.
While China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997 and permits gender-affirming surgery under specific conditions, there has been a trend of LGBTQ+ advocacy groups being shut down in the country over the past decade. This alleged blocking of the LGBTQ+ tag on Steam reflects a broader pattern of content restriction in the region.