A lawsuit in the UK is demanding Valve pay $837 million for abusing Steam’s market dominance to overcharge for PC games. The legal action comes from Vicki Shotbolt, a children’s digital rights activist who launched a campaign in the UK calling on local gamers to support what amounts to a class-action lawsuit. “We believe Valve Corporation has been unfairly shutting out competition for PC games and in-game content, which has meant that UK customers have paid too much for these products,” Shotbolt’s team wrote on a website dedicated to the lawsuit. Valve’s has long been the largest digital marketplace for PC games. But according to Shotbolt, that has given Valve the ability to inflate game prices for an estimated 14 million players in the country. In response, she’s demanding the US company compensate affected consumers in the UK from £22 to £44 ($28 to $56). As evidence, the lawsuit points to the 30% commission that game developers initially have to hand over to Steam for their game sales. Shotbolt claims the commission structure is “excessive,” and can lead to price inflation. The lawsuit also claims Valve can keep prices high by preventing game developers on Steam from selling their PC titles at lower prices on rival platforms. “We say Valve Corporation is breaching competition law by imposing price restrictions on games sold on Steam,” Shotbolt’s website adds.
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Valve didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But it’s not the first time Steam’s commission structure has come under fire. Gamers and developers have also complained about Steam’s 30% cut. In contrast, the Epic Games Store only charges a 12% commission.In the meantime, Shotbolt’s website says it could take several years for the lawsuit to reach an outcome. The legal firm handling the case also sued Sony in 2022 for also overcharging gamers under similar claims. In November, a UK court ruled that the Sony suit could continue.
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