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Steam and the Epic Games Store have been blocked in Indonesia without any explanation, leaving gamers in the country looking for answers. Earlier on July 30, news started coming in regarding the termination of the services of these two platforms as they were made unavailable. Interestingly, the two digital platforms aren't the only services that have been banned, and many websites have met a similar fate.
It has been suggested that the ban could be due to a failure to comply with government regulations in the country that require companies to register in a database.
Gamers in Indonesia are left in the dark as Steam and Epic Games Store are two of the many services that have been banned
As mentioned above, the entire situation goes beyond the two digital storefronts. Battlenet, known for its Call of Duty service, has also been banned. International payment service PayPal has met a similar fate, and this decision could end up being especially disruptive.
While PayPal might not be directly related to gaming, it's a good payment gateway on different platforms. So while the Steam and Epic Games Store ban will primarily affect PC gamers, the prohibition on PayPal could hamper console users and even those who aren't gamers.
A significant problem has been the lack of clarity from the government or the affected parties. Team Secret Esports broke the news in the late hours of July 29 as word started to come in from the Southeast Asian nation.
Some believe that the ban might have resulted from a failure to comply with new government regulations. For example, companies plying their trade in Indonesia are required to register in a nationalized database. It could be the case that Steam, the Epic Games Store, and other affected parties didn't do this, resulting in the ban.
What's also unclear is the duration of this ban. Due to a lack of information, there's no clarity on when the ban could be lifted and what needs to be done for that to happen. There has also been no clear information about the use of a VPN service, but readers are advised against doing so as this often violates the terms and conditions of the digital storefront. It remains to be seen how this decision affects the future of gamers in the country, but it will likely disrupt the gaming industry that has been evolving in the region.
Steam has become the most prominent digital gaming storefront for PC gaming all over the world. In comparison, the Epic Games Store is a recent entity that has expanded aggressively over the past few years. Both platforms are renowned for their offers and competitive regional pricing, which is helpful for countries like India and Indonesia. There has been no update from any of the blocked sites yet, further fuelling the confusion.
