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How to Refund a PC Game That Won’t Run or Isn’t What You Expected

Refund a PC game through the store or seller that took payment. See the current Steam, Epic and GOG request windows, eligibility rules and what to include if the game will not run.

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Start with the store or seller that took your payment and submit a refund request as soon as possible. Steam’s usual rule is a request within 14 days of purchase and less than two hours of playtime; Epic’s PC and Mac policy generally uses a 14-day window and under two hours of runtime, and the game must be labeled “refundable” or “self-refundable.” GOG’s voluntary policy allows requests within 30 days. These are storefront policies, not universal legal rules.

How do I refund a PC game that won’t run?

Use the refund process for the storefront shown on your receipt or bank statement. If you bought a key from a reseller, the reseller—not Steam, Epic, or another launcher—is ordinarily the place to request your money back. Epic explicitly says purchases made outside its checkout follow the point-of-purchase policy. Epic Games Store refund policy.

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Submit the request promptly, explain what is failing, and include the exact error message and relevant PC details. A refund is not automatic merely because a game has a technical problem; the applicable store policy and your purchase channel determine the route and outcome.

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What are the refund rules at each PC game store?

Store Request window Playtime or runtime Other conditions and request route
Steam Within 14 days of purchase for the standard policy Less than two hours. Steam counts online, offline, and shared-library playtime. Request through Steam Support. Valve invites requests outside the standard window for review, but approval is not guaranteed. Approved refunds are generally issued within a week, to the original payment method where possible or to Steam Wallet if that method cannot be used. Steam Refunds; Steam Support: Refunds.
Epic Games Store Generally within 14 days of purchase; for pre-purchases, within 14 days after release Less than two hours of runtime The PC or Mac product must be marked “refundable” or “self-refundable.” For an eligible self-refundable purchase, open the account’s Transactions page, select the purchase, then choose Refund. Epic Games Store refund policy.
GOG Within 30 days of purchase under GOG’s voluntary policy No playtime threshold is stated in the cited policy. For technical problems, contact support during the 30-day period and give GOG a chance to help. If it cannot resolve the issue, GOG says it will offer a full refund. GOG Support: How do I refund a game?.
Microsoft Store / Xbox PC Not stated here Not stated here Check the official refund page and your Microsoft order history for current instructions. Xbox Support refund orders.

Store windows are not universal legal rules. Eligibility can depend on country and purchase channel. Epic notes that EU consumers may have statutory withdrawal rights and that buyers may be asked to waive withdrawal rights when purchasing. For advice about legal rights, consult the consumer authority in your jurisdiction.

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How to request a refund on Steam

  1. Open Steam Support and sign in to the account used for the purchase.
  2. Select the game or purchase and follow the refund-request prompts. Explain briefly why it does not run or why it was not what you expected.
  3. Submit the request even if you are outside the usual 14-day or two-hour limits if you believe your circumstances merit review. Valve says it will consider requests outside the standard rules; that is not a guarantee of approval.

Valve explicitly includes hardware requirements, accidental purchases, and simply not liking a game among examples that may be submitted under its policy: “Maybe your PC doesn’t meet the hardware requirements; maybe you bought a game by mistake; maybe you played the title for an hour and just didn’t like it.” Valve, Steam Refunds.

How to request an Epic Games Store refund

  1. Confirm that the purchase was made through Epic checkout and that the product is labeled “refundable” or “self-refundable.”
  2. For an eligible self-refundable purchase, sign in to your Epic account and open the Transactions page.
  3. Open the purchase and choose Refund, then follow the prompts. The account must show less than two hours of runtime, and the request must meet the applicable 14-day timing rule.

If the purchase was made through a different seller, use that seller’s refund process instead of Epic’s.

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How to request a GOG refund for a technical problem

Contact GOG Support within 30 days of purchase and describe the technical issue. GOG’s support guidance says that if you contact it within that period and it cannot help solve the problem, you will be offered a full refund. This is GOG’s voluntary policy and support process, not a blanket statutory entitlement or an unconditional promise for every dissatisfaction request. GOG Support: How do I refund a game?.

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What should I include in a refund request?

Keep the request concise and factual. Include the details that help support identify the transaction and understand the problem:

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  • Order or transaction reference, purchase date, and game name.
  • A short description of the failure or mismatch, with the exact error text if one appears.
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These details help support assess the request; they do not guarantee approval. Submit promptly and avoid repeatedly launching the game while the request is pending if your store counts runtime. Steam explicitly includes offline and shared-library playtime in its two-hour threshold.

Can I get a refund if I just don’t like the game?

On Steam, dissatisfaction is explicitly named as a reason a buyer may submit a request, subject to the standard timing and playtime rules or Valve’s review outside them. For Epic and GOG, follow the stated policy and the options available for that purchase; the cited policies do not establish an equivalent blanket promise that any change of mind will be accepted.

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What if I played for more than two hours?

For Steam, you can still submit a request outside the usual limits, but Valve reviews it and does not guarantee approval. Epic’s stated PC and Mac eligibility requires less than two hours of runtime. GOG’s cited voluntary policy describes a 30-day request period and a support opportunity for technical problems rather than a two-hour cutoff. Check the policy for your exact purchase before assuming another store uses the same threshold.

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Where do I request a refund for a game bought from a key site?

Contact the site or seller that charged you. A game key may activate or launch through Steam or Epic, but that does not make the launcher the seller of the key. Epic expressly directs customers whose purchases were made outside its checkout to the point of purchase for its policy.

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