UK Tribunal Allows Valve Steam Lawsuit to Proceed

The UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal has ruled that a collective lawsuit accusing Valve Corporation of abusing its dominant position in the PC gaming market can proceed to trial, potentially paving the way for compensation to up to 14 million British Steam users. The case, filed in June 2024 by digital rights campaigner Vicki Shotbolt, seeks £656 million, equivalent to approximately $900 million, alleging that Valve's policies on its Steam platform have led to inflated prices for games and downloadable content since June 5, 2018.

The lawsuit centers on Valve's alleged anticompetitive practices, including platform parity obligations that prevent game publishers and developers from offering titles at lower prices or earlier release dates on rival digital storefronts. It further claims that Steam's rules require users who purchase a base game on the platform to buy all associated add-ons, such as expansions and cosmetics, exclusively through Steam. These restrictions, combined with Valve's standard 30 percent commission on transactions, are said to limit consumer choice and drive up costs, with affected users overpaying an estimated £22 to £44 each.