well there are mostly no 100% region free keys because different states/countries got different rules, nowadays very strict rules when it comes to gore, gambling, forbidden signs etc... so whats allowed in the U.S and might be region free, is sometimes banned in germany, russia, china or whatever. these countries (like germany) got their own pool of keys and if the game is not completely banned, its changed like they did with wolfenstein for example (removing swastikas)
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So how people can be sure when they create all those region-free GAs? I know there's these restrictions on Germany, Middle East countries and such, but I'd like to buy a key where I can create a GA and not worry if it will or will not activate on most countries.
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Check packages at SteamDB.
Many games haves a regional package for SA though, thus you won't have a wide selection. Indie games come less often with regional packages.
An example for the game you're giving away here: https://steamdb.info/app/1245470/subs/. There are only 3 packages: an old one for beta testing, another one for devs (internal testing etc) and one for store and key activation. Only the last one is interesting for us, because beta keys are uncommon so many years after release and the generation of so-called devcomp keys is really limited.
If you click on the store and CD key package, you will see the package specific sides, go to "information": https://steamdb.info/sub/432196/info/. Besides the box stating that trading and gifting is disabled (refers to Steam store only) there's nothing else: so no regional restictions for keys.
For a contrary example: GTA V has 42 packages: https://steamdb.info/app/271590/subs/. For some time SteamDB now even sums up restrictions in the overview already ("not in [x] countries", "only CN" etc.) For detailed information go to the package and then information again. The red box will now include either countries that are excluded or included. To get a correct idea of the region restrictions you would need to check all packages and derive regions based on that information. The more packages, the more complicated.
Why other people don't have to care that much about it? Users from US and Europe have to care less, because those keys are often global or ROW (rest of world = everywhere besides a few specified regions), which is based on prices being high there. A publisher doesn't care if an expensive US key gets activated in Venezuela, because the expensive US price was paid. But vice versa: a key from Venezuela redeemed in US? That means lost money.
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Thanks for the detailed explanation about packages on SteamDB. I guess I won't escape from searching thoroughly every game I wanna give. It is sad I won't be able to use steam sales to giveaway better games, but I guess the other stores can work with some games.
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I edited a bit more :D You're welcome!
In case that you buy bundles (Humble, Fanatical and so on), they tend to be ROW keys as well. The bundle pages provide information about the restrictions, but they aren't always accurate. Check the bundle theads here on SG, some people provide the package information they got upon activating keys. Best case for you would be another user from SA posting their redeemed packages there.
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Yes, I saw that one. But GreenManGaming regions on game page is like:
Afghanistan, Åland Islands, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR of China), Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao (SAR of China), Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Réunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan (Region of China), Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, U.S. Virgin Islands, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Wallis and Futuna, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
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They list the same here (Germany), so it's probably the general sub: https://steamdb.info/sub/145782/.
Given the existing Brazilian sub, there's still a minor risk.
If you own the game yourself already, you could test it by redeeming via website (https://store.steampowered.com/account/registerkey) and installed SteamDB userscript, because that would identify the sub without redeeming. However, use this method with caution, because there are packages out there that override others and thus the key would be used (Paradox is infamous for that).
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Not all keys on greenmangaming are region restricted. I have seen quite a lot of games as region free or with enough regions under it that it could be almost considered as such.
But of course that depends on the quality too. Most of the bigger titles are usually locked to the buyer's region in gmg.
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Hey guys!
I've just joined a great group of giveaways, but some rules are making me fry my brain with solutions: there should not be Region Restricted giveaways.
Since we're a small group, seems fair not having RR giveaways (which would filter part of the group out). But I'm located on Brazil. And everywhere I search for buying keys it locks to South America (Humble Store, GamersGate, GreenManGaming, Fanatical...). I can't buy a gift on Steam also 'cause I can only send them to those located on SA.
Is there a way/some store I can be 100% sure I'm buying a region free key? Should using VPN solve this issue?
Thanks in advance.
Random giveaway to my fellow region restricted friends.
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