UK Tribunal Lets £656 Million Valve Lawsuit Proceed Against Steam Store

Valve, the developer and distributor behind the Steam digital gaming platform, must now face a £656 million ($897.7 million) lawsuit in the United Kingdom after a London tribunal ruled the case can proceed to trial. The legal action, brought by digital rights campaigner Vicki Shotbolt, alleges that Valve's business practices have led to unfair pricing and excessive commissions on the Steam store, affecting millions of UK consumers.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal in London rejected Valve's attempt to block the case from advancing towards a full hearing, marking a significant development in legal scrutiny of major technology platforms and their digital marketplaces.

Claims of Anti-Competitive Conduct

The lawsuit, first filed in 2024, is being pursued on behalf of up to 14 million UK consumers who have bought games or additional content through Steam or other online platforms since 2018. Shotbolt's legal team argues that Valve imposes strict conditions on game publishers that effectively constrain how and where products can be sold, disadvantaging rival storefronts.

A key contention in the claim is that Valve requires users who purchase a game on Steam to buy all associated downloadable content (DLC) and additional items through Steam as well — a practice that the lawsuit says 'locks in' customers and limits competition. It also alleges that Valve's commission structure of up to 30 per cent for game and content sales is 'unfair and excessive,' and that these costs are ultimately passed on to consumers.

Valve countered that the case should not be certified to proceed, arguing that insufficient evidence had been presented at this early stage to justify a full trial. However, the Competition Appeal Tribunal disagreed, determining that the allegations merit further examination in court.

Industry Context and Similar Cases

This lawsuit is the latest in a growing wave of legal challenges in the UK targeting digital marketplaces and the fees they charge. Separate mass claims against other tech giants, such as Apple over its App Store commissions and Google over its Play Store fees, are also advancing through the British legal system, all focusing on similar concerns about platform dominance and pricing practices.

Valve's Steam platform is one of the largest digital distribution services for PC games in the world, with thousands of titles and millions of users globally. Critics of its pricing and commission model argue that its dominant position and contractual restrictions on publishers have stifled competition, limiting opportunities for rival platforms such as Epic Games Store, GOG or others.

Potential Impact on Gamers

If the case succeeds, UK consumers who purchased games and related content through Steam since 2018 could be entitled to compensation. Estimates from related analyses suggest that individual payouts might average between £22 and £44 ($30.40 and $61) per consumer, based on how much they have spent on affected purchases.

The lawsuit also claims that restrictive 'price parity' terms imposed on developers prevent them from offering lower prices or earlier releases on rival platforms, further limiting choices for gamers and entrenching Steam's dominant market position.

Valve's Response and Next Steps

At the time of publication, Valve had not immediately responded to requests for comment. The company's representatives had previously argued that the methodology for calculating class members and damages was unclear and that the suit should not advance.

The decision to allow the lawsuit to continue marks a significant moment in consumer rights law within the gaming industry and could set a precedent for how digital marketplaces are regulated in the UK. Lawyers for Shotbolt will now proceed with building their case, and the tribunal will hear further evidence as the matter moves closer to a full trial.