Valve maintains tight control over a significant portion of the PC gaming market through its Steam platform. Its dominant position has allowed the company to preserve a de facto monopoly, remaining far ahead of competing storefronts and launchers.
While lawsuits against Valve have become increasingly common, a new Bloomberg report has revealed just how aggressively the company can act to protect its market position.
According to the published information, Valve and Ubisoft were involved in a major conflict several years ago over the tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege. The dispute took place during the period when Ubisoft operated its own launcher, UPlay, which was rebranded as Ubisoft Connect in 2020.
The disagreement began after Ubisoft offered an exceptionally attractive deal for Rainbow Six Siege through UPlay. Upon learning about the promotion, Valve reportedly issued an ultimatum demanding that Ubisoft immediately change the game's price.
Ubisoft was allegedly given just 24 hours to resolve the situation, with Valve threatening to remove Rainbow Six Siege from Steam entirely if the company refused to comply.
For Ubisoft, such a removal would have posed a significant financial risk. Rainbow Six Siege remains one of the company's most important revenue-generating titles. In 2024, it was confirmed that the game had generated nearly more revenue on its own than almost any other franchise in Ubisoft's history.
At the same time, Steam continues to be a crucial platform for the shooter. The game currently reaches a daily peak of approximately 75,000 concurrent players on Valve's storefront.
As previously reported, the full list of participants for Esports World Cup 2026 in VALORANT has been finalized, with Natus Vincere failing to qualify for the tournament.
