Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 4 hrs ago
Some Steam users get stuck on “Loading user data” screen
Some Steam users could not log in on October 26 because the client stalled on a “Loading user data” screen.
The problem affected access to the gaming platform, although Steam appeared to remain online.
Users also reported trouble with downloads and purchases, but the full scope and cause were unclear.
The cause had not been confirmed, and Valve had not issued an official explanation in the reports.
Some users said closing Steam and running it as an administrator helped, while others said it did not.
Others reported that removing a game demo through Steam’s browser-based license page worked, but that fix was not reliable for everyone.
Waiting for Steam to recover was another option, and one user said the client began working again after several hours.
Valve had been asked for more information, but no further update was given in the reports.
Some Steam users on October 26 reported being unable to log in, with the client stuck on a “loading user data” screen.
Steam status indicators showed the platform was up, although reports of login trouble continued to grow.
The cause was not clear, and users reported mixed results from suggested fixes.
Some users said removing a game demo from their account or running Steam as an administrator helped; others said those approaches did not work.
Kotaku reported that Steam had recovered for its writer by the time the article was prepared.
- Who
- Steam users trying to log in to the platform.
- What
- Some users were stuck on a “loading user data” screen. The cause was not clear.
- When
- October 26, 2026; reports of trouble began around 6 am ET.
- Where
- On Steam, with the issue reported by users online.
- Why
- Not stated.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Reports of Steam login trouble began appearing, according to Down Detector.
PC Gamer reported that trouble had persisted for several hours and reports continued to grow.
Kotaku said Steam had recovered for its writer by the time the article was prepared.
- Reported symptom
- Client stuck on “loading user data
- First reports
- Around 6 am ET
- Date
- October 26, 2026
- Steam status
- SteamDB’s status page showed Steam green across the board
- Possible fix
- Some users said removing a game demo from their account helped
3 sources
What people are saying
So maybe that's another strategy: have patience?
Steam isn’t down, to be clear.