Valve is being sued for £656 million ($843 million) in the UK for allegedly exploiting its monopoly in the PC gaming market by overcharging gamers and putting price restrictions on Steam games.
As per a BBC report, Vicki Shotbolt, a digital rights campaigner, has filed a lawsuit against Valve, which claims that the company has overcharged 14 million PC gamers and abused its dominant market position in the UK.
“Valve is rigging the market and taking advantage of UK gamers,” Shotbolt said in a statement. She further highlighted that Steam charges an “excessive commission of up to 30%” on game sales made on the platform, causing UK consumers to pay significantly more for PC games and add-on content.
The claim, filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London, is supported by the legal firm Milberg London LLP, which specializes in group action cases against large corporations.
The lawsuit also alleges that Valve compels developers to maintain the same prices on other platforms and mandates that all game add-ons be purchased through Steam.
The outcome of this case will undoubtedly be closely observed by industry stakeholders and gamers alike.
