Yes, partly. Steam has been blocked in Vietnam since May 2024, when the head of the national agency for electronic information said Steam was restricted through telecom providers because Valve never answered requests about game licensing. Since October 2, 2026, many players also report failed logins, downloads and updates. The errors differ by provider and region, and no new official announcement had been made as of October 12, 2026. This page tracks what has been confirmed about Steam blocked in Vietnam, what still works, and how to tell the block from an ordinary connection problem on your own PC. CheckIP does not publish ways around the block.
Last updated: October 12, 2026.
Steam in Vietnam: timeline of the block
The block came in two waves. The first, in May 2024, was confirmed by the regulator and hit the Steam store and Steam-linked features. The second began on October 2, 2026, and spread to logins, downloads and updates. As of October 12, 2026, no authority or ISP has announced the second wave.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Early May 2024 | Users in Vietnam can't load Steam content or see interruptions | VnExpress, May 30, 2024 |
| May 29, 2024 | Lê Quang Tự Do, director of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (Ministry of Information and Communications), tells VnExpress Steam was blocked by technical measures through telecom providers | VnExpress, May 30, 2024 |
| December 25, 2024 | Decree 147/2024/ND-CP on internet services and online information takes effect | Inven Global, October 3, 2026 |
| September 25, 2026 | VietNamNet reports some Vietnamese ISPs blocking Steam; unnamed sources say authorities are considering a full block of PUBG PC | VietNamNet Global |
| October 2, 2026 | Wider errors: login, store, community, downloads, updates, Steam Cloud sync; not every subscriber is affected; no official notice | Techz, October 5, 2026; Inven Global, October 3, 2026 |
Last checked: October 12, 2026. A new row goes in when a government portal, an ISP or Valve makes an announcement.
Why is Steam blocked in Vietnam?
Steam is blocked in Vietnam because games released in the country must be licensed, and the regulator says Valve ignored its requests. Speaking to VnExpress on May 29, 2024, director Lê Quang Tự Do said the agency contacted Steam many times without a reply, so it decided Steam had to be blocked.
The same interview set out the rule behind the block. Digital stores such as the App Store, Google Play and Steam need a local contact point to work with Vietnamese authorities. He said most other platforms complied when asked. Steam did not.
Decree 147/2024/ND-CP has governed internet services and online information since December 25, 2024, and according to Inven Global it requires online games to meet licensing and administrative rules. Both the agency and its ministry have since been reorganized, so the 2024 job titles above are the ones in use at the time.
The October 2026 wave has no stated cause. Inven Global cites a September 23 Thanh Niên report that PUBG PC has no distribution license in Vietnam, and notes that no link between PUBG and the new Steam errors has been confirmed. Its report carried no statement from Valve.
What still works on Steam in Vietnam and what doesn't
Store pages and payments have been restricted since 2024. Since October 2, 2026, some users also lose logins, the community, downloads, updates and cloud saves. Games you already installed played offline in 2024. Whether they still do after October 2026 depends on your provider and the game.
| Feature | Status reported | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Store and payments | Restricted since May 2024 | VnExpress; Inven Global |
| Installed games, offline | Playable in 2024; unclear after October 2026 | VnExpress |
| Login and Steam Community | Errors from October 2, 2026, not on every connection | Techz; Inven Global |
| Downloads, updates, Steam Cloud | Errors from October 2, 2026 | Techz; Inven Global |
This table comes from press reports, not from CheckIP measurements. Techz and Inven Global both quote FPT subscribers who had errors while other FPT subscribers used Steam normally, so two players on the same provider can see different results. Neither outlet published the technical method of the block.
Is it the block or a normal Steam connection error?
If Steam fails on every device in your home while other games and sites load fine, and players on the same provider report the same thing, the cause is almost certainly the restriction at the provider. Nothing on your PC will change that. If only one computer fails, the problem is local and you can fix it.
- Try Steam on a second device on the same Wi-Fi. If the second device works, the issue is on the first PC.
- On the failing PC, restart Steam and then the computer, and check that Windows Firewall or your antivirus has not blocked the Steam app.
- Check the system date and time. A clock that is off by hours makes secure connections fail, and Steam shows that as a connection error.
- If every app in the house is slow or drops, restart your router and test your connection speed. Then check latency; a high ping to every site points to your line, not to Steam.
- To see which IP address and country a Steam domain points to from your connection, use see where a domain is hosted. It shows facts about the server. It is not a way around anything.
Slow downloads with no error message are a separate case. Steam shows speed in MB/s while your plan is sold in Mbps, and long international routes slow many services at peak hours. Port forwarding is not needed to browse the store or download games, so skip guides that tell you to open ports on your router for this.
Why this page doesn't cover DNS or VPN workarounds
The restriction was applied by providers at the request of the authorities, so CheckIP does not publish ways around it. That includes DNS changes, VPNs, proxies and similar tools. Press reports also show that changing DNS did not restore downloads for some users.
According to Techz and Inven Global, FPT subscribers who switched to 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1 still could not download or update games. If you want to understand what DNS does, it only turns a domain name into an IP address. The blocking itself happens at your internet provider, and the press has not said exactly how.
Your Steam account carries its own risk. The Steam Subscriber Agreement (revision dated September 10, 2026), section 3.A, says you agree not to use "IP proxying or other methods to disguise the place of your residence," and "If you do this, Valve may terminate your access to your Account." Section 9.C adds that no refund is given when an account is terminated for a violation, including unused Steam Wallet funds.
Legal ways to keep playing games in Vietnam
The legal options are games released through licensed Vietnamese publishers and games already in your Steam library that run offline. A game sold in Vietnam needs a license, so a local publisher is the first thing to look for on a game's page or launcher.
- Pick games that have a Vietnamese publisher. In the 2024 VnExpress report, Roblox was asked to register and now publishes through a domestic partner.
- Keep playing installed games that work without a connection, and expect online features such as achievements and cloud saves to fail.
- Watch official channels for changes: Vietnamese government portals, your ISP's notices and Steam's own news page.
Be careful with game keys from resellers. A key bought through a third party still needs Steam to activate and download, so it runs into the same block.
Frequently asked questions
Is Steam banned in Vietnam?
Steam is partly blocked, and some of it still works. The regulator confirmed in May 2024 that it had providers restrict Steam because Valve ignored licensing requests. The October 2026 errors are wider, but as of October 12, 2026, no authority or provider has issued a new notice, and some subscribers on the same network still connect.
Is Steam Community blocked in Vietnam?
For many users, yes. Reports of Steam Community blocked in Vietnam started on October 2, 2026, alongside login, download and cloud sync errors, according to Techz and Inven Global. It does not hit every connection: both outlets quote FPT subscribers with errors and others on FPT who used Steam normally. Results depend on your provider and area.
Can I still play Steam games I already own?
Games already installed could be played in 2024, according to VnExpress, while features tied to Steam stopped working. After October 2, 2026, it depends on the game. Titles that need Steam to log in, sync saves or download an update may not start. Your library stays attached to your account even when you can't reach it.
Will a VPN get my Steam account banned?
Valve's own rules say it can. Section 3.A of the Steam Subscriber Agreement says that if you use IP proxying or other methods to disguise where you live, Valve may terminate your access to your account, and section 9.C says no refund follows. CheckIP doesn't publish workarounds for Steam in Vietnam.
When will Steam be unblocked in Vietnam?
No date has been announced. In 2024 the regulator tied the block to Valve not responding to licensing requests, so a change would need Valve and Vietnamese authorities to reach terms. The October 2026 wave has no official explanation yet. We update the timeline above when a government portal, a provider or Valve announces something.
