Who'd have thought not actually owning the games you purchase was a bad idea?

The direct transfer of power in tech is often to someone that will carry the torch. It's quite rare that a successor is picked that has been at the company for years, but wants to change practically everything about it. For that reason, I can see Gabe passing to a like-minded person that already knows that they are a succession candidate.

But ultimately none of us know Gabe, or what he plans to do. He may have a 100 step plan to secede power, or he might get to 65, say "that'll do" and just sell up and retire to a remote island somewhere. The plans might have been in place for years, or he might not want to consider Valve without him. Hell, he might not even think that Valve should exist without him. It's impossible to guess, so it's not worth worrying about...

That post is pure hysteria. First no one knows when Gabe is going to die, and even if he live very long he may step down due to old age still.

• also worrying so much about something that may happen 14 years later according to op is unnecessary and distorted thinking.
• why assume there is going to be a power vacuum? can't he and his leadership make pans of succession?
• then believing a whole made-up story going down the rabbit hole of the worst case scenario is again unnecessary and distorted thinking. Is okay to think of worst case scenarios but to take them as if they were real is gifting ourselves anxiety for free.
• in any case, the mental exercise of thinking of some undesirable possibilities allow us to take precautions and prepare to the extend that is appropriate and reachable. Which would be the most efficient behavior that thwarts "actual fear" as OP writes it.

This is silly. Valve is already a profit driven company. You don't see the walled garden? The DRM? Valve supports proton because it's in their monetary interest to do so.

I already have enough games to last a lifetime, stored to my storage