Valve, the owner of PC gaming's biggest digital marketplace Steam, is facing a class action lawsuit in the UK which seeks £656 million in damages. Valve is accused by the lawsuit - which was filed originally back in 2024 and has recently been given the go-ahead to enter the courtroom - of essentially forcing developers to sell their games on Steam by making it the only place players can go to for additional content.
This then leads to what campaigner Vicki Shotbolt an "excessive commission of up to 30%," which is charged to developers and publishers for listing their games on Steam. Shotbolt claims that then players have to pay the price, as creators look to make up for the charge paid to Steam.
It is also alleged that Steam "prohibits publishers from selling products through other distribution channels on better terms than the same Products are available on Steam," essentially calling Valve out for monopolising the PC market.
Valve's defence argues that the group suing it cannot provide proper evidence for the unfair pricing argument. "Without a credible plan for taking Steam Keys into account, the PCR cannot establish Steam's actual effective commission charge, and without this, the PCR cannot establish whether the commission charge amounts to an unfair price," reads the lawsuit document (via Insider Gaming).
Shotbolt's claim is not one she's made alone, as she represents some 14 million Steam users, who stand to get a potential payout if she wins. As this matter now enters the court room, we'll have to see who comes out on top.