In an unprecedented twist that left the gaming community buzzing, a dedicated Destiny 2 player known online as trashcanslover received a full refund from Steam despite logging over 2,000 hours in the game. This extraordinary exception to Steam’s rigid refund policy came after Destiny 2 suddenly became inaccessible in regions like Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. The player’s desperate plea to customer support highlighted how Bungie’s vague statement—"Destiny services are not available where access is restricted by law"—had locked them out indefinitely. For trashcanslover, the refund was bittersweet: financial relief couldn’t erase the sting of losing a world where they’d invested years of their life.

This incident unfolded against a backdrop of turmoil for Destiny 2. Just months earlier in July 2025, the game’s latest expansion, The Edge of Fate, had sparked excitement with its dramatic raid mechanics and trailer. Yet, what should have been a renaissance quickly devolved into a mass exodus. Within weeks, 80% of active players vanished—a collapse fueled by game-breaking bugs, punishing difficulty spikes, and now, geopolitical restrictions. While Bungie remained tight-lipped, players in affected areas felt abandoned. How could a studio silence entire communities without clear explanations? The question hung heavy as servers went dark.

Steam’s decision to refund trashcanslover shattered expectations. Typically, the platform enforces a strict policy: refunds only if requested within 14 days of purchase with under two hours of playtime. Past exceptions, like the infamously broken PC port of The Last of Us, set precedents for "extenuating circumstances." But a refund after thousands of hours? This was uncharted territory. When trashcanslover detailed their abrupt loss of access—a consequence of regional bans—Steam’s support team deemed it a valid exception. The ruling ignited hope for others, yet what followed was a frustrating lottery.

People Also Ask:

• 🤔 Why did Destiny 2 lose 80% of players after The Edge of Fate?

Players cited relentless bugs, unbalanced raids, and the final straw: sudden regional bans.

• ❓ Can other Steam users get refunds for unplayable games?

Rarely—only if the issue is systemic and beyond the player’s control.

• 🌍 Is Destiny 2 permanently banned in Russia?

Bungie’s cryptic statement suggests restrictions are legal, not technical, hinting at permanence.

Not every player shared trashcanslover’s luck. Reddit threads overflowed with stories of rejection: one user with 500 hours denied, another with 50 ignored. Steam’s inconsistent responses baffled the community. Was the platform favoring certain regions or playtime thresholds? The silence deepened suspicions. Meanwhile, refunded players grappled with emptiness. Imagine building clans, collecting exotics, and conquering raids for years—only to have it severed overnight. Would compensation ever mend that void?

As Destiny 2’s future teeters, the saga exposes fragile tensions between players, platforms, and publishers. Steam’s flexibility, however rare, acknowledges a harsh truth: when games transform into unplayable relics, money alone can’t quantify loss. Yet with Bungie’s expansion strategy alienating fans and geopolitics fracturing access, one wonders—if a game dies in a region where no one can hear it, does it even matter?