Valve Accused of Anti-Competitive Practices in the UK, Faces £656 Million Lawsuit
A UK court has approved a £656 million class action lawsuit against Valve over alleged anti-competitive practices linked to its digital platform, Steam.
The legal action, first filed in 2024 by digital rights activist Vicki Shotbolt, has been cleared by the Competition Appeal Tribunal and can now move forward.
The Accusations Against Valve
In short, Valve is accused of abusing its dominant position in the digital video game market. According to the lawsuit, the company imposes so-called “parity obligations” on developers and publishers. These clauses prevent publishers from selling their games on competing stores under better conditions, which is said to limit competition.
Valve is also accused of forcing game owners to spend money on Steam when buying additional content, further reducing competitive choice for consumers.
The lawsuit also claims that Valve applies excessively high commissions — typically 30%, although in some cases the percentage is lower. According to the plaintiffs, this results in higher prices for consumers.
Valve initially challenged the case, arguing that it lacked accurate details about its commission structure and the real impact of its parity clauses. The company also stated that the lawsuit did not offer a practical method for Steam users — including minors — to identify themselves as part of the claim.
Despite these objections, the tribunal ruled that the case can proceed. Shotbolt’s lawsuit represents around 14 million UK citizens who have purchased games or additional content on Steam from 2018 to the present day.
The outcome of this case could have major implications for Valve and the wider digital games marketplace.
In other news, Steam achieved a new all-time record, with over 42 million concurrent users logged in simultaneously.
