Valve has firmly refuted recent reports suggesting its Steam platform experienced a "major" data hack, asserting there was "NOT a breach" of Steam systems.

Despite concerns from some users about reports claiming over 89 million user records were compromised, Steam's thorough investigation revealed that the leak involved only "older text messages." These messages contained one-time code SMSs but did not include any personal data.

In a statement released on Steam, Valve explained that their examination of the leak sample confirmed that no customer data was compromised. They stated, "The leak consisted of older text messages that included one-time codes that were only valid for 15-minute time frames and the phone numbers they were sent to. The leaked data did not associate the phone numbers with a Steam account, password information, payment information, or other personal data."

Valve further reassured users by noting, "Old text messages cannot be used to breach the security of your Steam account, and whenever a code is used to change your Steam email or password using SMS, you will receive a confirmation via email and/or Steam secure messages."

Valve took the opportunity to remind players to enhance their account security by setting up the Steam Mobile Authenticator, which provides 2-factor security and is "the best way to send secure messages about your account and your account's safety."

Given the increasing frequency of data breaches and the fact that over 89 million individuals have Steam accounts, users had valid concerns about a potential security compromise. The most notorious video game-related data breach occurred in 2011 when the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable networks were severely disrupted for nearly a month, affecting 77 million accounts.

It's not just customer data at risk. Just last October, Pokémon developer Game Freak suffered a significant hack, leaking data about its former and current staff, as well as its development pipeline. One year prior, in 2023, Sony confirmed that data of nearly 7,000 of its current and former employees was compromised in two separate breaches. Additionally, in December 2023, hackers breached confidential data at Marvel's Spider-Man developer, Insomniac.