Valve fails to shut down $897 million Steam lawsuit as UK tribunal rules it can continue

Steam's dominance as the biggest PC gaming storefront in the world is unquestionable, and for the majority of new games, not releasing on Valve's platform is deemed a questionable move. However, Steam's practices have been called into question by a number of lawsuits over the years, and it's just been confirmed that another one is heading Valve's way. Representing 14 million gamers in the United Kingdom, a lawsuit seeking up to £656 million ($897 million) in damages has been given the go-ahead following a tribunal, despite Valve's protestations.

This lawsuit was first filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London by digital rights campaigner Vicki Shotbolt in 2024, alleging that Valve discourages competition by locking publishers into what it calls "Platform Parity Obligations." These obligations reportedly prevent publishers from selling their games at more competitive price points on other platforms.

This, combined with the "unfair" cut Steam takes from transactions (which is up to 30%), allegedly leads to rising game prices overall, meaning a worse deal for British gamers as the increase in cost is passed along to the consumer. It compares the commission Valve charges to the 12% fees charged by Epic Games and Microsoft on their respective gaming storefronts - it's worth noting Epic only triggers its 12% cut after a game has made $1 million in revenue, and before that threshold, it takes zero commission.

Valve's legal representatives have tried to prevent the case from going to trial, citing several reasons. These include the claim that Shotbolt (who is referred to as the PCR, or Proposed Class Representative) had "not put forward an adequate methodology" for comparing Steam's transaction commissions into the alleged increased prices.

As was spotted by Reuters, the Competition Appeal Tribunal confirmed on January 26, 2026 that the lawsuit will continue as a "CPO on an opt-out basis." CPO here refers to a collective proceedings order, which allows for a class action lawsuit, and "opt-out" means that a single PCR can represent all of the consumers it claims have been affected without them needing to register or request to be included.

As mentioned, the case has estimated that damages could be up to £656 million. The document published by the Tribunal today estimates that the average amount UK gamers have lost, based on the PCR's claims, is "in the region of £22 to £44" per person - that's approximately $30 to $60.

No dates for future hearings or the publishing of further documents pertaining to Shotbolt's case in the UK have been given at the time of writing.