A new academic paper, dated August 2025 and featured in Frontiers in Psychology, points to a disturbing trend: an increase in right-wing extremism on Steam. Authors Alex Bradley-Newhouse and Rachel Kowert, from the Universities of Colorado Boulder and Cambridge respectively, detail how neo-fascist groups are reportedly leveraging Valve’s digital storefront to initiate what they call ‘wars.’ These campaigns focus on recruiting new members and orchestrating harassment against various targets, ranging from other Steam user groups to non-governmental organizations like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). These targets are branded as ‘enemies,’ while allied groups are designated as ‘allies.’ The study concludes that neo-fascism is gaining traction on Valve’s platform, and existing content moderation systems appear to be ineffective at curbing this rise.
The research suggests that Steam’s moderation tools struggle to effectively counter these malicious actors. Extremist users are said to frequently create new accounts and use unique coded language to disguise fascist-associated symbols. By analyzing several right-wing communities, the researchers observed that members often belonged to multiple such groups and consistently employed rewards to draw other players into their circles.
A notable finding was the prevalence of certain games within these communities. While many members played popular titles like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Wallpaper Engine, Hearts of Iron 4 stood out as a significant exception. This strategy game, which allows players to take on the role of historical factions including Nazi Germany, attracts around 60,000 daily players – a smaller number compared to the millions for CS2 or Dota 2, but still substantial enough to be a hub for such activities.
The researchers attribute Hearts of Iron 4’s popularity among these groups to its World War II setting, which offers the ability to play as various fascist entities. They also propose that the game’s modding capabilities, which enable users to create their own alternate historical narratives, might facilitate the creation of custom versions of the conflict that appeal to these extremist ideologies.
PCGamesN has reportedly sought comments from Paradox Interactive regarding these allegations.
The study further contends that Valve’s content moderation practices have been ‘inconsistent and not comprehensive.’ It notes that numerous right-wing groups, despite being banned, often reappear swiftly. In one observed instance, evading a ban was even celebrated as a ‘war won’ in a group’s description. Another community was removed eight times but consistently re-established itself using slightly altered language.
While a 2024 report from the Anti-Defamation League did lead to an increase in platform-wide bans, Bradley-Newhouse and Kowert emphasize that ‘extremist cliques and groups are still easily discoverable across Steam’s social features.’
PCGamesN has also reached out to Valve for comment. The study references a 2018 Steam blog post where the company stated its approach was to ‘allow everything onto the Steam Store, except for things that we decide are illegal, or straight up trolling.’ However, this statement is seven years old, and moderation policies may have evolved since then.