Steam still lets you download games you bought that are not even on sale anymore, they never delete them even a decade after delisting from the store.
Hosting this content costs real money.
What makes you think they’d invalidate codes that cost them basically nothing?
What they are trying to say is Steam gift cards might not be able to be activated by physical stores (e.g. convenience market) at some point in time. Physical stores might stop selling them even if they still have them. Almost any stores will run out of cards way before this happens.
Edit: Valve might still support activating them, but the stores software might drop support after a few years (or months, idk).
As you said: Once activated gift cards will likely be able to be activated for a few years, at the very least (legal requirement), likely longer.
Edit 2: Obviously there’s no real reason to care about this. If you need physical gift cards, buy them now.
The codes don’t expire once activated, but they can drop activation of unsold cards.
Steam still lets you download games you bought that are not even on sale anymore, they never delete them even a decade after delisting from the store.
Hosting this content costs real money.
What makes you think they’d invalidate codes that cost them basically nothing?
What they are trying to say is Steam gift cards might not be able to be activated by physical stores (e.g. convenience market) at some point in time. Physical stores might stop selling them even if they still have them. Almost any stores will run out of cards way before this happens.
Edit: Valve might still support activating them, but the stores software might drop support after a few years (or months, idk).
As you said: Once activated gift cards will likely be able to be activated for a few years, at the very least (legal requirement), likely longer.
Edit 2: Obviously there’s no real reason to care about this. If you need physical gift cards, buy them now.