Russia invaded Ukraine in February. And then, Western countries and companies such as Valve, EA Games, and Microsoft began to impose sanctions. Russian players are struggling with the consequences of sanctions. Still, it seems that sanctions can’t stop them from purchasing Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered Steam keys.
Some companies no longer permit their products to be purchased in Russia. For instance, purchasing a game via Steam might be difficult for Russians, especially regarding payment methods. There are obstacles to get over when new games are launched, like Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered. However, a Russian game seller, Buka, said that customers could buy the game directly from them.
Buka claims they’re selling the game on Steam, but that’s Steam keys for Spider-Man Remastered. So, key purchasers must first download and install the game via Steam, then enter their key for the platform to activate. There is a section showing how to activate the game on the sales page of Buka.
Although Russian users can access the game with a Steam key, the game’s price is more expensive than the average. Steam displays Russian rates as “unavailable,” whereas Buka charges 3,999 rubles ($64.29) for an activation key. That’s well above even the $59.99 price in the United States. Nonetheless, Buka’s Steam keys have completely sold out, and Russians will now have to wait for it. Moreover, according to SteamDB pricing, Ukrainians can buy the game for only $37.78.
There is no evidence to imply that the keys supplied by Buka were obtained unlawfully. However, licensing may be very challenging. The statement that players must change the country (use a VPN) implies that the game is intentionally unavailable in Russia. In other words, the game could play through Steam, but it’s unclear if it’s doing it legally.
Steam keys are already used in many different countries besides Russia. Many Steam users purchase keys through third-party sites for various reasons, including access to lower prices reserved for other sellers.
In related news, some code snippets of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered has lead fans to believe that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will have a co-op. However, nothing has been confirmed officially on that so far.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered officially came out on August 12. The new game is available on PlayStation 5 and PC through Steam and Epic Games Store.
