UK approves $900 million lawsuit against Steam parent Valve, company faces these allegations
A £656 million ($900 million) lawsuit against Valve, Steam's parent company, has been approved in the UK, alleging unfair pricing practices.Summary
Valve Corporation is facing a £656 million ($900 million) lawsuit in the UK concerning its pricing practices on the Steam platform. The lawsuit, brought by Vicki Shotbolt on behalf of up to 14 million UK Steam users, alleges that Valve abuses its market dominance by imposing restrictive terms on game publishers and locking players into its ecosystem. Specifically, the claim argues that Valve “forces” publishers to prevent selling titles cheaper elsewhere and requires all additional content purchases through Steam, enabling a commission of up to 30%.
The legal action, filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London, asserts that these practices lead UK consumers to overpay for PC games and add-ons. This is a collective action claim, supported by the legal firm Milberg London LLP. A similar consumer action case was also filed against Valve in the US in August 2024.
Valve, originally known for games like Half-Life and launching Steam in 2003, has seen the platform generate $11.7 billion in revenue in 2025 alone. The company has also expanded into hardware, including the Steam Deck and the upcoming Steam Machine console.
(Source：The Times Of India)