$900 million lawsuit accusing Steam of overcharging gamers in the UK and 'abusing a dominant market position' will proceed after Valve loses appeal against it

Valve is facing a new legal headache as a tribunal in the UK has ruled that a lawsuit filed against it in 2024, accusing the company of using Steam’s dominance of the PC gaming marketplace to overcharge gamers and muscle out competition, can move ahead.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of children’s digital rights campaigner Vicki Shotbolt as a collective action—functionally similar to a class action—representing an estimated 14 million consumers in the UK. Very briefly, it alleges that Valve prevents game makers from offering their products at lower prices on other platforms, requires that all add-on content for games purchased on Steam also be purchased through Steam, and that Valve’s “excessive commission” has resulted in inflated prices.