EU Kids Act draft could force age verification for single-player games on Steam

The European Commission's draft EU Kids Act, proposed this week, could mandate age verification for any game that touches an online platform — including single-player titles that simply launch through Steam. The legislation targets services used by under-15s: social media, AI chatbots, and "online video games." The problem is how "online" is defined.

According to a senior policy adviser to an MEP, the current wording is broad enough to catch single-player games that use Steam for authentication or distribution, even if the game itself has no multiplayer or social features. That's because the platform — not the game — meets the law's definition of an online service. The draft calls for a tiered account system for kids under 15, enforced by mandatory age verification for all users.

This is messy for two reasons. First, it shifts compliance burden onto platforms like Steam, Epic, and GOG, which would need to verify ages globally to serve EU customers — or region-lock EU users entirely. Second, it lumps offline experiences (a single-player RPG you play alone) in with actual online spaces (Fortnite lobbies, Discord servers) that the law ostensibly targets. The distinction matters: one poses real risks to kids, the other doesn't, but both get treated the same.

The draft is still in early stages — no timeline for final votes yet — so the language could narrow. But as written, this would be a headache for PC gaming. Not a framerate killer, but a friction point that could splinter regional game libraries or push launchers to add intrusive verification flows.

If you're on Steam and curious how your library might change, check your current game settings and keep an eye on platform announcements over the next few months.