Steam has put another restriction in place to prevent users from continuing to take advantage of the platform's regional pricing system. Typically, games are cheaper in countries with lower incomes, leading to some users utilising VPNs in order to hide their actual location and purchase games at a significant discount.

　　Steam already has multiple restrictions in place to stop this exploit, but now the company has introduced another process with the aim of further deterring those looking to cheat the system. As SteamDB notes, you now need to complete a purchase with a payment method from the country you claim to be located in before Steam will approve a change to your store region. So if you want to purchase a game from Malaysia, for example, you'll first need a Malaysian credit card.

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　　Now Playing: Horizon: Zero Dawn Video Review

　　Valve has recently made changing your store country more strict, which requires completing a purchase using a payment method from that country.

　　This should hinder the ability of using VPNs to buy games cheaper. pic.twitter.com/IozwoO6gsi

　　— Steam Database (@SteamDB) July 29, 2020

　　"If you have moved to a new country, or are living abroad for an extended period of time, you can update your Steam country setting when you complete your first purchase using a payment method from that country," Steam's updated policy explains. "If your location differs from your current Steam account store country setting you'll have an option to change your store region while you view your cart or as you complete your purchase."

　　Earlier this month, Horizon Zero Dawn's Steam price saw a sudden increase in regions outside of the US. While neither Valve nor Sony has commented on the reasons behind the spike, many have speculated that a number of Steam users took advantage of VPNs to purchase the upcoming game in other regions at a lower price point, negatively impacting the people who legitimately live in those countries.