In recent days, there has been a surge of concern regarding a purported data breach involving Steam, compelling Valve to take a definitive stance on the allegations. The company has asserted unequivocally that its platforms remain secure, with no critical user information—such as passwords or personal identifiers—compromised. While it has been confirmed that unauthorized access to older text message records occurred, Valve maintains that the effects of this incident are limited.
The wave of speculation began over the weekend, sparked by a viral LinkedIn post. This post alleged that a “threat actor” appeared on a notorious dark web forum, claiming to have hacked into Steam’s framework and was offering a dataset that reportedly included more than 89 million user records for an astonishing price of $5,000 USD. Further updates suggested that the breach was related to “real-time [two-factor authentication] SMS logs,” implying that the hacker had accessed auxiliary systems rather than the core functionalities of Steam itself.
In response to the unfolding scenario, Valve acted swiftly to reassure its user base. In an official statement, the company made it clear that a detailed investigation into the claims had determined that no actual breach of Steam’s infrastructure had taken place. The data in question pertains solely to older text messages, prompting Valve to encourage users that there was no need to alter their passwords or phone numbers.
Expounding on the details in a thorough announcement made on Steam, Valve emphasized, “The recent chatter regarding the leak of past text messages sent to Steam users does not imply a security breach within our systems.” They clarified that the leak is limited to older SMS messages, cautioning that the nature of text messages—which are often sent unencrypted and through various telecom providers—can complicate locating the source of such information leaks.
The leaked dataset primarily contained older one-time codes, which were only valid for 15 minutes, alongside the corresponding phone numbers. Crucially, Valve noted that this information was not tied to any specific Steam accounts and did not include passwords, financial data, or other sensitive personal information. They further reinforced that these older messages cannot be utilized to breach an account’s security, highlighting the robust protocols they have in place that send confirmations to users via email or secure Steam messages whenever there are changes related to codes.
Reassuring users once again, Valve stated, “There is no reason for concern; you do not need to change your passwords or phone numbers due to this incident. Nonetheless, we advise maintaining vigilance against any unusual security alerts.” They also encouraged players to consider using the Steam Mobile Authenticator, the most secure method for receiving updates on account safety and related notifications.
