Privacy Policy

This privacy policy applies specifically to the Flowstate Leaderboard Service ("Service"), which provides competitive leaderboards, statistics tracking, and player profiles for Flowstate gamemodes.

Information We Collect

When you use the Flowstate Leaderboard Service, we collect:

• Steam Account Information: Steam username, Steam ID (provided via Steam authentication)
• Connection Data: IP address, geographical region
• Usage Data: Browser type, pages visited on the website, API requests
• Game Performance Data: Scores, accuracy, game session data, scenario statistics, personal bests
• Hardware Information: Hardware fingerprint for anti-cheat and account security purposes

How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Operate and maintain leaderboards and player statistics
• Authenticate players via Steam
• Detect and prevent cheating and fraudulent activity
• Provide player profiles and performance tracking
• Improve service performance and user experience
• Respond to support requests and enforce service policies

Public Data and Competitive Transparency

This is a competitive gaming leaderboard service. We believe in transparency for competitive integrity. The following data is intentionally public and visible to all authenticated users:

• Usernames: Your current and historical display names
• Steam IDs: Used for player verification and anti-cheat purposes
• Scores and Performance: All gameplay scores, accuracy, weapons used, and statistics
• Leaderboard Rankings: Your position on public leaderboards
• Team Affiliations: Team membership and team performance data
• Verification Status: Whether your account is verified

Why we keep this data public:

• Competitive Integrity: Public scores prevent cheating and enable community verification
• Fair Play: Steam IDs help identify duplicate accounts and prevent ban evasion
• Transparency: Open leaderboards build trust in the competitive system
• Community Learning: Players can study top performers to improve their skills

Authentication and Rate Limiting

We balance public access with abuse prevention through selective authentication requirements:

• Player Search: Direct Steam ID lookup is public. Username/fuzzy search requires authentication to prevent mass database scraping
• Username History: Public access shows last 5 username changes. Authenticated users also see last 5 changes. Admins can see full history
• Leaderboards: Fully public - no authentication required. We believe in competitive transparency
• Player Profiles: Fully public - scores, stats, and Steam IDs are openly accessible for competitive integrity
• Players Page: Hidden from navigation for non-authenticated users to discourage bulk browsing. Individual player profiles remain accessible via direct links or Steam ID lookup
• Rate Limiting: All endpoints are rate-limited to prevent denial-of-service attacks and mass data extraction

These measures protect against automated abuse while keeping competitive data accessible. You can look up any player directly by their Steam ID, view all leaderboards, and check player stats without needing an account. The Players page is only accessible to authenticated users to prevent casual mass browsing while keeping individual player data public.

Data Retention

• Operational Logs: Stored for up to 14 days; may be retained longer in cases of security violations
• Leaderboard Data: Username, Steam ID, and scores are retained indefinitely to maintain historical leaderboard records
• Session Data: Player session information is retained to support statistics and historical analysis
• Hardware Fingerprints: Stored to track device changes and prevent ban evasion

Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share limited data with:

• Other Players: Your username, Steam ID, scores, and statistics are publicly visible on leaderboards and player profiles
• Steam/Valve Corporation: For authentication purposes, we validate Steam session tickets via Steam Web API
• Service Providers: Error reporting and analytics services may receive diagnostic data to improve service reliability

Your Rights

Where applicable under privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.), you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to limitations for leaderboard integrity and fraud prevention)
• Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection: Object to certain types of data processing

Note: We may retain certain data to maintain leaderboard integrity, prevent fraud, and comply with legal obligations. Anonymization may be offered for leaderboard data instead of full deletion.

Cookies and Web Beacons

Like most websites, Flowstate Leaderboard Service uses cookies to enhance user experience. These cookies store information including visitor preferences and pages accessed on the website.

• Session Cookies: Used for authentication and maintaining your logged-in state
• Preference Cookies: Store your settings and preferences (e.g., theme selection, page filters)
• Analytics: Help us understand how visitors use the service to improve performance

You can disable cookies through your browser settings. However, this may affect functionality of the Service, particularly authentication features.

Log Files

Flowstate Leaderboard Service follows standard procedures of using log files. These files log visitors when they access the service. The information collected includes:

• IP addresses
• Browser type and version
• Internet Service Provider (ISP)
• Date and time stamps
• Referring/exit pages
• Number of requests

This information is not linked to personally identifiable information. The purpose is for analyzing trends, administering the site, tracking user movement, gathering demographic information, and preventing abuse.

CCPA Privacy Rights (California Residents)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California residents have specific rights regarding their personal data:

• Right to Know: Request disclosure of categories and specific pieces of personal data we have collected about you
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal data we have collected (subject to exceptions for leaderboard integrity and fraud prevention)
• Right to Opt-Out: We do not sell personal data, so opt-out does not apply
• Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights

If you make a request, we have 30 days to respond. To exercise these rights, please contact us at contact@playvalkyrie.org

Account Deletion and Data Removal

You may request deletion of your Flowstate Leaderboard Service account and personal data through any of the following methods:

• Support Ticket: Open a ticket on the leaderboard website (requires authentication)
• Email: Contact us at contact@playvalkyrie.org with your Steam ID and account verification details

Upon verification of ownership:

• Your account will be removed within 30 days
• Personal data will be anonymized where possible
• Historical leaderboard entries may be retained with anonymized identifiers to maintain competitive integrity
• The decision is final and you will not be allowed to create a new account with the same Steam ID

Note: Opening a support ticket through the website allows for faster processing and easier verification of account ownership.

Restricted Access and Account Bans

When your account is banned for violating terms of service or engaging in cheating/fraudulent activity:

• You are prohibited from accessing or using the Service
• Bans may be temporary or permanent depending on the violation
• Ban appeals may be submitted to contact@playvalkyrie.org within 14 days of the ban
• Ban decisions are final unless successfully appealed with evidence
• Attempting to evade bans by creating alternate accounts will result in permanent bans

Children's Privacy

The Flowstate Leaderboard Service does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. We encourage parents and guardians to observe, participate in, and monitor their children's online activity.

If you believe your child has provided personal information through the Service, please contact us immediately at contact@playvalkyrie.org and we will make our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records.

Note: Steam account creation and usage is subject to Steam's age requirements and parental control policies.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. The "Last Modified" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last updated.

Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Information and Legal Entity

For privacy-related inquiries, data requests, or any questions about this policy, please contact us:

• Email: contact@playvalkyrie.org
• Website: https://playvalkyrie.org

This service is operated as part of the R5Valk project. For game-related inquiries, visit playvalkyrie.org. For leaderboard service issues, use the contact information above.

By installing, accessing, or using the R5Valk software, online services, or the Website, you agree to this EULA and the Privacy Terms below. If you do not agree, do not install or use the Services.

You also agree to applicable third-party terms, including (as relevant to gameplay and authentication) the Steam Subscriber Agreement and Steam Privacy Policy. See: Steam Subscriber Agreement and Steam Privacy Policy

1. License Grant

• R5Valk grants you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and use the Services solely for non-commercial, lawful purposes, subject to this EULA.
• All rights not expressly granted are reserved by R5Valk and its licensors.

2. Eligibility

• You must comply with all applicable laws and this EULA. If you are under the age required by your local law to consent to data processing or contracts, a parent/guardian must review and accept on your behalf.
• You must have a valid Steam account to access online features of the Services.

3. Prohibited Uses

You may not:

• Bypass, interfere with, or disable security or integrity mechanisms.
• Use cheats, bots, exploits, automation, scraping, or any activity that degrades service integrity.
• Infringe the rights of others or violate applicable laws (including network abuse, harassment, or unauthorized data collection).
• Sell, rent, sublicense, or commercially exploit the Services.
• Impersonate others or misrepresent your affiliation.
• Manipulate or falsify Steam authentication data.

4. Online Features and Live Events

• The Services may provide online and social features, including R5Valk-hosted live game events ("Live Events").
• R5Valk may modify, suspend, or terminate online features and Live Events at any time.

5. User Content and Conduct

• You are responsible for your activity and any content you submit or share via the Services.
• R5Valk may remove content or restrict access where necessary to maintain security, enforce this EULA, or comply with law.

6. User Mods

• Mods are created, installed, and used at the sole discretion and risk of users. R5Valk does not review, endorse, curate, or assume responsibility for user-created mods, their content, or their effects.
• You are solely responsible for ensuring your mods and mod usage comply with law and third-party rights (e.g., no IP infringement, malware, privacy violations, or unlawful content).
• R5Valk is not liable for any loss, damage, or harm arising from mods, including compatibility issues, security vulnerabilities, or data loss.
• R5Valk may, in its discretion, restrict or remove access to specific mods or mod distribution mechanisms to protect service integrity or comply with legal obligations.
• Server operators may set their own mod policies; access to specific servers may depend on compliance with host requirements.

7. Updates; Changes to the Services

R5Valk may provide patches, updates, or changes that you must install to continue using the Services. Features may change or be discontinued at any time.

8. Termination

• This EULA is effective until terminated. R5Valk may suspend or terminate access if you breach this EULA or misuse the Services.
• Upon termination, you must stop using and uninstall the Services.

9. Privacy Terms (What we collect and why)

When you use the Services, we collect limited information to operate, secure, and improve the Services, including:

• Your Steam username and Steam ID
• IP address and approximate geographic region
• Browser type (when using the Website)
• Pages visited on the Website
• Requests to our APIs
• Temporary Steam authentication data (session tickets for verification)
• Diagnostic/error data (e.g., crash metadata or minidumps)

We use this to:

• Operate, maintain, and secure the Services and Live Events
• Develop features and provide social functionality
• Prevent fraud and abuse
• Diagnose, fix, and improve performance and reliability

Data retention:

• Operational logs are typically kept up to 14 days; if acceptable usage is breached, we may retain relevant data longer to enforce security and prevent further abuse.
• Crash minidumps: up to 90 days; crash metadata: up to 365 days.
• For Live Events, a limited subset (e.g., username and Steam ID) may be retained to support leaderboards/statistics. You may request anonymization (subject to verification).

Your rights (where applicable, e.g., EU/UK GDPR, CCPA/CPRA):

• Access; Rectification; Erasure; Restriction; Data Portability; Objection
• We may retain limited data to maintain service integrity and prevent fraud, consistent with retention terms above.
• We may refuse requests that are manifestly unfounded/excessive or where we cannot verify identity/ownership.
• We will respond within one (1) month where applicable law requires.

10. Who May See Your Information

We do not sell your data. We may share limited information only as necessary to operate the Services or as required by law:

• Game Server Hosts: To connect you to servers, hosts may receive your public profile information (e.g., username, Steam ID) and IP address.
• Other Players: Public profile information (e.g., username, Steam ID) may be visible to other players in a server; if you host, your server's IP and region may be shown via APIs/UIs.
• Steam/Valve Corporation: For authentication and fraud prevention we interface with Steam's Web API to validate session tickets and retrieve basic profile information.
• Error Reporting Providers: Diagnostic data (e.g., minidumps, stack traces) may be sent to providers to fix issues (e.g., Backtrace at https://backtrace.io).

11. Third-Party Terms

• Use of Steam services, authentication, or APIs may be subject to Valve's terms and privacy policies.
• Steam authentication requires acceptance of the Steam Subscriber Agreement and Steam Privacy Policy.

12. Disclaimers

• The Services are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, to the maximum extent permitted by law.
• R5Valk does not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation.
• R5Valk is not responsible for Steam service availability or downtime.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, R5Valk will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages arising from or related to your use of the Services (including user-created mods).

14. Changes to this EULA/Privacy Terms

We may update this EULA and Privacy Terms. Continued use after an update signifies acceptance of the revised terms.

15. Children

• R5Valk does not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe your child has provided personal data, contact us so we can remove it.
• Steam account creation and usage is subject to Steam's age requirements and parental controls.

16. Contact

Email: contact@playvalkyrie.org