Plenty of possible things can happen.

Using the Steam search bring up many possible answers...

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/discussions/forum/search/?gidforum=882958665520871138&include_deleted=1&q=What+will+happen+if+steam+shuts+down

Or using Google, you can see the various threads over the years about this very topic...

https://www.google.com/search?q=What+will+happen+if+steam+shuts+down?+site:steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com

Originally posted by Adolf_Tiller:

Ive been asking myself what happens to your games if steam were to shut down. Would you be able to still download or play them? or do you just loose everything?

Well, you just said that Steam is shutting down. So how could you possibly download anything from Steam after that?

Same applies to playing. Without Steam, your Steam games will be gone.

Now, chances are that this isn't going to happen out of the blue, and **some** publishers will probably move **some** games to whatever other platform is taking Steams place. However. that's something they CAN do, or (most of them) they can chose not do it.

A couple years ago, when Steam was rather young in fact, a Valve dude promised a final patch. You'd still have to download the games & keep them downloaded, but you'd be able to to play them.

If steam dies. PC gaming dies with it.

Everyone would go outside a bit more

Originally posted by BRUSHRAT:

Everyone would go outside a bit more

You sound like everyone is playing 24/7???

Originally posted by DeadPhoenix:

Originally posted by BRUSHRAT:

Everyone would go outside a bit more

You sound like everyone is playing 24/7???

Yeah, issue?

Probably gone for good with a chance to download and burn them to discs before the final shutdown.

Or somebody buys steam and it continues the business in their own way. Steam would certainly have a heavy enough name to be worth the purchase.

If steam goes down Epic or one of the other platforms would buy up the user base along with your collection of games. Microsoft would be on it like a whippet.
I would just change hands ie: Steam would not be owned by Valve anymore it would be Microsoft or Epic. One of those two would be my bet.

Originally posted by fauxtronic:

The promise to release a patch would be legally problematic due to the sheer number of IP owners involved

Back then when the promise was made, there already were non-Valve games on Steam so the problem you mention may be real, but looks like Valve guys & gals already found a solution.

Originally posted by DeadPhoenix:

If steam dies. PC gaming dies with it.

+1 so true

Originally posted by BRUSHRAT:

Originally posted by DeadPhoenix:

You sound like everyone is playing 24/7???

Yeah, issue?

People can't play 24/7 because they will die.

Originally posted by DeadPhoenix:

Originally posted by BRUSHRAT:

Yeah, issue?

People can't play 24/7 because they will die.

Which people have... check the news.

Originally posted by Snapjak:

Originally posted by DeadPhoenix:

People can't play 24/7 because they will die.

Which people have... check the news.

Those people are idiots of wasting their lives on playing games 24/7. I'd say 2 hours a day is the max you should play games.

Originally posted by DeadPhoenix:

Originally posted by Snapjak:

Which people have... check the news.

Those people are idiots of wasting their lives on playing games 24/7. I'd say 2 hours a day is the max you should play games.

Id say you aint getting your daily dose of gaming.