Valve receives a class action claim in the UK for alleged abuse of Steam's market power

A consumer rights organization from the United Kingdom is suing Valve over its alleged dominance of the PC market with gaming platform Steam. The group is demanding £656 million because Valve allegedly charged gamers too much for games for years.

The mass claim was initiated by a consumer rights activist who normally stands up for children's rights. The Vicki Shotbolt Class Representative foundation has filed the class action claim with the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal. This concerns a claim of 656 million pounds, equivalent to approximately 777 million euros. The foundation says that 14 million Britons may be entitled to compensation, up to 44 pounds or 52 euros per person.

The foundation states that Valve has abused its market power with game store Steam. The official complaint or a summons is not online, but the organization says that Valve would have broken the law in three ways. First of all, Valve would impose restrictions on game makers. They should therefore not be allowed to offer their games cheaper on rival platforms, which means that customers 'have fewer options', the foundation says.

The foundation further criticizes the fact that players can only purchase add-ons for Steam games via Steam, and not via alternative game stores. The third point revolves around the commission that Valve charges. Game makers who offer their games via Steam must pay a thirty percent commission. According to the foundation, Steam games are therefore unnecessarily expensive.