Region Restrictions - Steam Activation Code
I found this on the help section, but unfortunately it's not suited to my situation.

"Can I use a proxy, VPN or disguise my location to redeem a region restricted Steam Gift?
No, using a proxy or VPN to disguise your location is strictly against the Steam Terms of Service and may result in restrictions on your Steam account. If you attempt to redeem a region restricted game and your location is inconsistent with your past Steam activity, a warning will appear as shown below"


I am a UK resident, but I'm travelling the world. I received a cd key gift for Football Manager 2026, but the only way that I will be able to activate it is by disguising my location, using a VPN, to the UK. However, this will breach the Steam Terms of Service. And if I were to try and obtain a refund and purchase a new key, it would be for the region that I'm currently in, so I can activate it. But then this would be inconsistent with my past Steam activity.
What are my options, and what is the right thing to do in this situation?
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Buy the game for the region your Steam account is currently set to, obviously. What does your past Steam activity matter? People move all the time. Are you or are you not in country X and is your Steam account set to that country?
引用自 nullable
Buy the game for the region your Steam account is currently set to, obviously. What does your past Steam activity matter? People move all the time. Are you or are you not in country X and is your Steam account set to that country?

No, I'm currently in Mexico. My steam account is set to UK. In a few weeks, I will no longer be in Mexico, but neither will I be in the UK. And my country will change every few weeks, or months.

I thought your suggestion is the most reasonable, but Steam specifically state that it's a breach of their Terms of Service.
引用自 dicksonmark
, it would be for the region that I'm currently in, so I can activate it. But then this would be inconsistent with my past Steam activity.
I don't understand this concern. What are you suggesting would happen from this scenario? Using a VPN to disguise your location is a violation of the SSA. Having an inconsistent Steam activity is not.
引用自 dicksonmark
No, I'm currently in Mexico. My steam account is set to UK. In a few weeks, I will no longer be in Mexico, but neither will I be in the UK. And my country will change every few weeks, or months.

If your account is set to the UK, you can activate UK keys, regardless of where you currently are.

If you bought a "UK key" and you can't activate it, it either means you changed your steam region to something that is not the UK, or the key is not for the UK.

So I think you are withholding a part of the story.
最后由 м 编辑于; 15 小时以前
引用自 м
引用自 dicksonmark
No, I'm currently in Mexico. My steam account is set to UK. In a few weeks, I will no longer be in Mexico, but neither will I be in the UK. And my country will change every few weeks, or months.

If your account is set to the UK, you can activate UK keys, regardless of where you currently are.

If you bought a "UK key" and you can't activate it, it either means you changed your steam region to something that is not the UK, or the key is not for the UK.

So I think you are withholding a part of the story.

I'm not withholding anything obtuse.

I just haven't attempted anything yet, as I'm concerned it will not work, or retrospectively be withdrawn.
And I could attempt to obtain a refund, or gift this elsewhere, and purchase a key suited to my current region. But again that concerns me as my region is constantly going to be changing. I'm merely trying to do the correct thing, not to manufacture a situation that gets me an even cheaper purchase price.
引用自 rawWwRrr
引用自 dicksonmark
, it would be for the region that I'm currently in, so I can activate it. But then this would be inconsistent with my past Steam activity.
I don't understand this concern. What are you suggesting would happen from this scenario? Using a VPN to disguise your location is a violation of the SSA. Having an inconsistent Steam activity is not.

Are you therefore suggesting that I try and get an activation code, suited for my current region, even though that will change in a matter of weeks? That way, I'm not breaching the Terms of Service.
And that will have no impact, after activation?
Just try it. As already mentioned, key activation is usually linked to your store region, if that is still UK then a UK key will work, even if you are abroad.
The worst thing that can happen is that you get an error message that the game could not be activated since the key is for another region.
That does not use up the key so you really losing nothing by just trying to activate the game.
But it should work anyway.
As long as the key and your account region match, you won't need a vpn. Doesn't matter where you are.

And as Ogami says, if the key won't work, it won't be "used" so you can still request your money back from the seller.
最后由 м 编辑于; 15 小时以前
引用自 dicksonmark
引用自 м

If your account is set to the UK, you can activate UK keys, regardless of where you currently are.

If you bought a "UK key" and you can't activate it, it either means you changed your steam region to something that is not the UK, or the key is not for the UK.

So I think you are withholding a part of the story.

I'm not withholding anything obtuse.

I just haven't attempted anything yet, as I'm concerned it will not work, or retrospectively be withdrawn.
And I could attempt to obtain a refund, or gift this elsewhere, and purchase a key suited to my current region. But again that concerns me as my region is constantly going to be changing. I'm merely trying to do the correct thing, not to manufacture a situation that gets me an even cheaper purchase price.

It is not a problem to buy a UK game, with UK money, for your UK account. You can travel and use Steam. Sounds like you're complicating things and your concern is all based on unknowns and what-ifs.

Literally doing anything but buying games from your region is either pointless or harmful.
引用自 nullable
引用自 dicksonmark

I'm not withholding anything obtuse.

I just haven't attempted anything yet, as I'm concerned it will not work, or retrospectively be withdrawn.
And I could attempt to obtain a refund, or gift this elsewhere, and purchase a key suited to my current region. But again that concerns me as my region is constantly going to be changing. I'm merely trying to do the correct thing, not to manufacture a situation that gets me an even cheaper purchase price.

It is not a problem to buy a UK game, with UK money, for your UK account. You can travel and use Steam. Sounds like you're complicating things and your concern is all based on unknowns and what-ifs.

Literally doing anything but buying games from your region is either pointless or harmful.

or there trying to do a bypass region restriction thing. Kinda sounds like there trying to do that in a weird way. BTW, that is against the steam TOS. So that is kinda what it sounds like, seeing they mentioned VPN's in the original post too. Someone that might of tried it already would probably quote that specific rule too, which makes me think they may of tried bypassing regional restrictions before, and this is their attempt to try a weird method of doing it. This whole post is over complicated way of sounding like it too.
最后由 RPG Gamer Man 编辑于; 14 小时以前
Your current location is not what determines your Steam store region. Much more is involved. You can only change your region when you make a purchase from within the new country with a payment method with address on record in the new country. Furthermore, you can only change your country if you have not done so in the last 3 months. See:

https://psteamhelp.yuanyoumao.com/en/faqs/view/2B3F-DAEF-846B-A0E8
Ok, Thanks for everyones comments. The steam activation code worked, even though it was a for a region that I'm not currently in. I am normally based in the UK, the activation code was for a UK game, and my steam account settings are still set in the UK.
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