Redeem key in different region

[Xen]

I purchased Humble bundle for Civilization 6 when I was visiting Asia. I activated it and it's an Asia locked key. Now I get back in US and couldn't played it so I contacted Humble and they issued me a new key.

The problem I'm facing now is Steam doesn't let me redeem this key since I already have the game in my library. I found a link to remove the game permanently from library, but that will remove some DLCs too. Humble didn't issue me new key for DLC so I don't want to go this route.

Is there any way to just replace the old Asia key with the new one I received? Also, is there any way to contact Steam customer service directly?

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Wait 3 months and the game will drop its region restriction.

The old key will still be the one Steam defaults the license to. Just wait 3 months.

Valve can not do anything with keys obtained from any place outside of Steam.

[Xen]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Wait 3 months and the game will drop its region restriction.

The old key will still be the one Steam defaults the license to. Just wait 3 months.

Valve can not do anything with keys obtained from any place outside of Steam.

:qr:

I don't really want to wait for 3 months though. I guess I'm removing the game from library and ask Humble bundle to send me new DLC keys as well.

By the way, is it game company dropping the restriction or Steam? How does that work? Where's the source?

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

The original key still is the one that Steam will use and it is a region restricted key.

The publisher does and Steam enforces it.

[Xen]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

The original key still is the one that Steam will use and it is a region restricted key.

The publisher does and Steam enforces it.

:qr:

I see what you meant. Apparently "permanently" removing a game doesn't remove it, it just hides it and the key is still linked to the account. The word Steam uses is kind of weird.

My question regarding restriction though is do all region locked game drop restriction 3 months after redeemed, or is there any source saying Civ6 will drop restriction in 3 months?

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

It has to be reversible. Users change their minds all the time. One wanted to reverse 200 that he removed.

Region restricted games drop their restrictions IF they were activated in the country they are restricted to.

Region play locked games are a bit more rare. They are only allowed to be activated and played in that country. Never lifted.

Yours fits in with the first one. Wait 3 months and it goes away with no worries anymore.

This is known by many forum regulars here. There is a user named Ogami that usually replies to these threads.

[Ogami]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

This is known by many forum regulars here. There is a user named Ogami that usually replies to these threads.

:qr:

My spidersense is tingling.

But jokes aside, cSg|mc-Hotsauce is 100% right with his first post. 90 days after activation every game in your library becomes regionfree and you can install/play it from anywhere in the world.
Its precisely for users who buy games during vacation or who move between countries.
So just wait those 90 days and the game will behave like any other in your library.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

I knew you were coming and had to play Candyman on you.

[Xen]

Thank you. Now I guess my only option is to wait 3 months and I also need to inform Humble not to mark the old key invalid.

Sorry for more question, but how do I know whether a game is region restricted or play locked?

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Very, very few are play locked. They are mostly Konami, Bandai Namco and Square-Enix games. And not all of them are as well.

[Ogami]

Originally posted by Xen:

Thank you. Now I guess my only option is to wait 3 months and I also need to inform Humble not to mark the old key invalid.

Sorry for more question, but how do I know whether a game is region restricted or play locked?

If you are buying it in that region there will be a big orange warning box on the Steam Store page.
Something like " Products purchased in this region are only playable in: (list of countries)"

As for key shops, they usually mention on their store page if a key is regionlocked or not.
Humble only checks for your IP when buying so i dont think you get an extra warning if you buy a region restricted game there.

[Xen]

Thank you all for the help.
Now I need to go back to play few rounds of Civ 5 and my Civ 6 should be unlocked.

[Ogami]

Originally posted by Xen:

Thank you all for the help.
Now I need to go back to play few rounds of Civ 5 and my Civ 6 should be unlocked.

Ha ha, most likely. If you play on giant maps in marathon mode. :P

[Xen]

I looked it up in SteamDB, here's the link: https://steamdb.info/sub/123225/
It says the game can only be played in specified countries. Is it play locked? Am I screwed?

[Ogami]

Originally posted by Xen:

I looked it up in SteamDB, here's the link: https://steamdb.info/sub/123225/
It says the game can only be played in specified countries. Is it play locked? Am I screwed?

Does not matter. 90 days after activation EVERY GAME that is in your library loses every single restriction it may have.

For example, here in Germany, the Wolfenstein games are either only available censored or not at all.
I bought both "Wolfenstein - New Order" and "Wolfenstein - The Old Blood" during vacation and activated them on my account.
After i returned from vacation both games did no longer download/install/play and gave me an error message " wrong region".

But 90 days after the activation day i could again download/install/play them like any other game.
By now i bought like 15-20 region restricted games over the years during vacation, mostly stuff that is region restricted here in Germany and every single game worked after 90 days.

So dont worry.

[Xen]

Ha thanks! I was actually just reading some posts and the example is Wolfenstein too!
On my way to Civ 5...