Video game developer Valve must respond in a UK court to a £656 million lawsuit claiming the company charged excessive commissions to publishers on Steam. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of up to 14 million users who have purchased games or additional content through the platform since 2018.
Plaintiffs argue that Valve forces publishers to sell all additional content through Steam, effectively “locking in” users to the platform and allowing the company to charge commissions of up to 30%. The London Competition Appeal Tribunal has allowed the case to proceed.
Separately, Valve is facing a consumer lawsuit in the United States, filed in Seattle in August 2024.
As a reminder, two mobile esports titles surpassed 1 million concurrent viewers at their 2025 world championships.