Valve faces a £656 million UK antitrust lawsuit over Steam's 30% commission, representing 14 million users. Learn about the allegations of market dominance and restrictive terms.
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Valve faces a major antitrust lawsuit in the UK over Steam's commission, which can reach 30%. This week, London's Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled that a £656 million collective action can proceed on its merits, rejecting the company's attempt to block the case early.
The lawsuit was filed in 2024 and represents the interests of roughly 14 million UK users who have purchased games and add-on content through Steam or related platforms since 2018. The case is led by campaigner Vicky Shotbolt, whose lawyers argue that Valve is abusing its dominant position in the digital game distribution market.
The core allegation is that Valve imposes restrictive terms on publishers, allegedly preventing them from selling games cheaper or earlier on competing platforms. Moreover, users who buy a game on Steam are forced to purchase all additional content exclusively within Valve's ecosystem. This effectively locks them into one digital storefront and reduces real competition.
The claimants contend that this model allows Valve to maintain a commission of up to 30%, which they call excessive and unfair. Valve insisted the case should not be heard as a collective action, but the court disagreed. At the time of publication, Valve declined to comment publicly.
This case is another high-profile example of pressure on major digital platforms in the UK. Similar collective actions have previously been approved against Apple and Google over commissions in the App Store and Play Store. Meanwhile, Valve already faces a comparable consumer lawsuit in the US, filed by gamers in 2024, intensifying legal pressure on Steam's owner across multiple markets.