A UK court has approved a lawsuit against Valve, claiming the company abused its dominance in the PC gaming market to overcharge for games and DLCs. This case involves up to 14 million UK gamers who may have overpaid between £22 and £44 since 2018.
Allegations and Legal Proceedings
The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal allowed the 2024 lawsuit to proceed, with Vicki Shotbolt as the proposed class representative. The claim asserts Valve's use of platform parity obligation clauses and a default 30% Steam commission limited publishers' pricing flexibility. According to the suit, these policies prevented lower pricing and earlier releases on other platforms.
Valve contended the case lacks relevance due to market comparisons and argued that off-platform Steam keys should mitigate claims of overcharging. However, the tribunal found the Pro-Sys Test met and confirmed that the case addresses substantial issues, allowing it to continue.
Challenges Ahead
The tribunal acknowledged that while there is sufficient cause to explore claims of unfairness and excessive pricing, proving broader market impact and calculating damages may be challenging during trial. The ongoing proceedings set the stage for a closer examination of Valve's practices in the digital gaming landscape.
