- Valve is currently facing a $900 million lawsuit over claims of unfair competition restrictions through Steam.
- It has been accused of preventing publishers from releasing games on other platforms at cheaper prices.
- Players are already rejecting accusations of “unfair prices”
Valve is rumored to be about to announce pricing for its upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame, but the company could face a potentially bigger concern, based on long-standing allegations against its Steam store.
As BBC News reported, Valve is facing a lawsuit worth around $900 million (£656 million) in the UK, due to accusations of “abusing its dominant position” by restricting competition.
This is a lawsuit backed by Milberg London LLP, a UK law firm, after the claim was initially filed in 2024, led by Vicki Shotbolt, who claimed: “Valve is manipulating the market and taking advantage of UK players.”
The lawsuit claims that Valve prevents publishers and developers from releasing games and add-ons on other platforms with better prices than the same products already available on Steam, through ‘Platform Parity Obligations’, ultimately leading to a lack of competition.
It also suggests that Valve is effectively blocking users from only making in-game purchases on Steam, as DLC purchased in the initial game cannot be used on other platforms. However, as most PC gamers (and even console gamers) will know, almost no other game platforms, publishers or developers allow cross-platform DLC on PC, although they do sometimes allow cross-progression (so you can pick up where you left off if you buy the game from multiple stores).
There’s also little reason for consumers to purchase DLC on another platform for their own copies of Steam, as Valve is quite generous with discounts, unlike other platforms, and users can find DLC options on marketplaces like Loaded (previously known as CDKeys).
Perhaps the most disconcerting claim of all is the one that claims Valve is essentially ripping off players by “imposing excessive fees that amount to an unfair price that is then passed on to consumers.”
It’s a claim that most gamers will probably deny, as Valve is well known for its generosity with price drops and consumer-friendly nature.
Steam is one of the only stores that has a flexible refund policy, allowing players up to two hours of gameplay to decide if they no longer want a product, and I have personally received refunds in cases of gameplay time over two hours.
While we can only speculate whether these claims are legitimate, it’s difficult to reason with the claim of unfair pricing being passed on to consumers, and users have already come to Valve’s defense on Reddit.
Analysis: Valve is being unfairly attacked
Valve’s Steam store is widely preferred for PC games, and is often considered the best option over other platforms such as Epic Games, Battle.net, GOG, or the Ubisoft store. That’s exactly why this lawsuit seems unjustified, especially when the allegations don’t seem plausible.
Companies like Sony and Nintendo have their console stores closed and only offer occasional discounts on their games. This is especially evident with Microsoft’s Blizzard and its Battle.net launcher, with its Obligations The games are still full price years after their release.
These are genuine problems for consumers, as these games cannot be purchased through cheaper alternatives, forcing users to pay high prices unless there is a sale, unlike on Steam, where standard prices for older games generally drop.
Claims that Valve is “restricting competition” fall flat when you realize that the same can be said for platforms (like Sony and Epic) that make third-party games timed exclusives, which, by the same metric, “lock” players from purchasing and playing on that specific platform.
I’ve always felt that Valve has pushed a “consumer first” approach through its CEO, Gabe Newell, and long may that continue.
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