Steam has turned 20 years old. Those who have been with the game since its release in September 2003 can look forward to a little trip down memory lane
Oh yeah, remember that time? Back then, Steam compulsion was all the rage and a huge excitement!
Two decades have passed since then and people have not only gotten used to Steam, many are even angry when games are released exclusively on competitors like the Epic Games Store or Ubisoft Connect.
This week, the first Steam user accounts are toasting their 20th anniversary! Valve, the mastermind behind Steam, is celebrating this milestone by giving the oldest platform veterans a very special reward.
A trip down memory lane
On September 10, 2003, Steam went online for the first time. Now the world’s largest PC gaming platform, it still came in a scary olive green back then and was not much more than a launcher through which you could launch good old Counter-Strike 1.6.
A small reward: For all of you who were part of it right at the start and now have a 20 year old account, there is a small reward waiting for you in your profile: A new badge in the style of the very first Steam version. You can see what it looks like here:
First ever created Steam accounts are 20 years old, and Steam has added a special anniversary edition of the badge.https://t.co/qt3ilbgGaW pic.twitter.com/TOMS9IIubp
– SteamDB (@SteamDB) September 11, 2023
When do I get my badge? If you are now wondering when you can dust off your badge, we have a little guide for you.
- In Steam, visit your profile by simply clicking on your username at the top of the screen next to the Shop, Library, and Community items.
- Now click on Badges on the right side of the screen to get to the overview of your badges.
- Look for the Years of Service badge, which shows the age of your account. If you can’t find it, you should sort your badges by
Completed
-it’s easier to find here. - Now you can see when you first created your Steam account – I signed up for my account around just before Half-Life 2 was released!
Twenty years of Steam and there’s still no end in sight! Now, of course, we want to know from you: How long have you been with us? And how has your relationship with Valve’s gaming platform changed over the years? Let us know in our comments section and take part in our survey – even if you don’t get a badge for it.
