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Valve Corporation is set to face a legal challenge in the United Kingdom involving a claim for £656 million related to pricing on its global digital storefront, Steam. This development follows a tribunal’s decision allowing the lawsuit to move forward. The accusation centers on Valve’s alleged use of its dominant position in the market to enforce restrictive contracts on game publishers and to bind customers to its Steam platform, which is recognized as the largest PC game distribution service worldwide.
The case was initiated in 2024 by digital rights advocate Vicki Shotbolt, representing potentially up to 14 million Steam users across the UK. If successful, these users could receive compensation for the alleged overpayment for games and related content. Valve contested the tribunal’s decision to permit the lawsuit’s certification for trial but was ultimately unsuccessful in halting the claim from proceeding.
Filed at London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, the lawsuit argues that Valve compels game developers to agree to terms that prevent earlier or cheaper sales of titles on competing platforms. Additionally, since Steam requires users who purchase games to buy all downloadable content (DLC) through its own network, this system effectively “locks in” consumers. Shotbolt claims this enables Steam to charge a commission fee up to 30%, causing UK consumers to pay inflated prices for PC games and add-ons.
This collective action lawsuit is brought on behalf of a large group of people—up to 14 million UK-based buyers who have purchased games or extra content via Steam or other platforms since 2018. The case is supported by the law firm Milberg London LLP, known for handling group action claims against major corporations. Meanwhile, a separate consumer lawsuit against Valve has also been filed in the United States as of August 2024.
Valve initially gained prominence as a developer of critically acclaimed games such as Half-Life before launching Steam in 2003. Data from VG Insights reveals that in 2025 alone, the platform hosted over 19,000 game releases, delivering revenues of approximately $11.7 billion (£8.6 billion). Beyond software, Valve has expanded into hardware with products like the Steam Deck, introduced in 2022, a portable gaming device that enables users to play Steam games anywhere.
More recently, Valve announced plans to launch the Steam Machine, a new gaming console designed to compete with established players like Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation. This device aims to bring PC gaming experiences to television screens, further broadening Valve’s reach in the gaming market
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