Stop Sueing Valve

In the UK, a claim has been filed (Steam You Owe Us) at the Competition Appeal Tribunal arguing that Valve overcharged PC gamers and that consumers are owed compensation. The claim frames Steam's store commission as "overcharging" and stretches competition law. In reality, gamers bought products at the prices displayed; the idea that everyone "overpaid" in a clear legal sense is contested.

This claim is brought on an opt-out basis. You are automatically included in the proposed class if you paid for PC games or add-on content in the UK from 5 June 2018 (from 4 June 2018 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; from 1 January 2010 for Scotland). If you do not want to be part of the claim, you will need to opt out. According to the claimant's FAQs, you will be given the chance to opt out if the claim is certified; they will publish an option for doing this on their website when the claim reaches that stage. We are not telling you to opt in or out—we are informing you so you can judge for yourself.

If such claims succeed, large payouts or liability could affect Steam's terms, regional pricing, or game availability. For the official class definition and opt-out information, see the claimant's FAQs (link below).

This class action is in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington (Case No. 2:21-cv-00563). It targeted people or entities who paid commission to Valve in connection with the sale or use of a game on the Steam platform between January 28, 2017 and November 25, 2024. The opt-out deadline for the publisher/developer class was September 2, 2025; that deadline has passed.

A similar suit on behalf of game publishers and developers has already passed a motion to dismiss and been certified as a class action. Separately, a consumer class (consumers who purchased PC games via Steam) is now proceeding: consumers were only recently able to pursue their suit after Valve amended the arbitration clause in its user agreement. On May 2, 2025, the Court appointed Cohen Milstein sole Interim Lead Class Counsel for the consumer class.

We do not tell you whether to opt in or out; we only point you to the official information. Both the UK and US claims treat Steam's commission as "anti-competitive" or "excessive"—that framing is contested. For official notices and documents, see the links below.