Steam UK Ban Possible After Valve Hit With Major Competition Lawsuit

Valve, the company behind the popular PC gaming platform, is facing a major legal hurdle in the United Kingdom. A class action lawsuit has been filed against them, which accuses them of abusing their position in the digital game distribution market by charging high commissions. The case could affect up to 14 million UK consumers and seeks provisional damages of up to £656 million.

The lawsuit was filed in June 2024 by Vicki Shotbolt on behalf of UK gamers who purchased game content through Steam since 2018. Here is what we know so far about the Steam lawsuit in the UK, which could also lead to a Steam UK ban.

Steam has been accused of unfair business practices

There is no denying the fact that Steam is the most popular gaming distribution platform for PC games. Now, it has been claimed that the company has unfairly used its market power to limit competition.

It further accused Steam of charging as much as 30 percent commission on game sales through its platform, which is ultimately passed on to the end consumers. The lawsuit also challenges Steam’s platform rules. These policies allegedly prevent developers from selling games at lower prices on competing platforms. In addition, if a player buys a game on Steam, any extra content or downloadable expansions must also be purchased through Steam. Discussions around metrics like the Battlefield 6 Player Count highlight just how dependent large-scale PC releases are on Steam’s ecosystem for sustained player numbers.

What is Valve's response to the allegations?

Valve has strongly denied the allegations. The company argues that the lawsuit fails to clearly define how its effective commission rates are calculated and claims that its fees reflect the value Steam provides to developers.

Valve also points out that many major platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and GOG, use similar commission models.

However, many critics have counter-argued that the many platforms Valve is accusing of not charging as much as Steam. For example, the Epic Games Store charges significantly lower fees.

Not to mention, the case also follows similar legal action in the United States, where Valve is already facing several accusations from game developers.

Importantly, if the UK lawsuit succeeds, it could lead to compensation for millions of Steam users and force changes in how digital game platforms operate. Also, a Steam UK ban might also be one of the possible scenarios. Announcements such as Dragon Ball New Game Project AGE 1000 Announced show how publishers may rethink platform exclusivity and pricing strategies if digital storefront rules are forced to change.