Steam Compensation Claim: UK gamers could benefit from legal action against Valve

Valve Corporation, the owner and operator of Steam, faces a compensation lawsuit from UK consumers accusing the digital gaming platform of excessive prices, and anti-competitive behaviour.

Independent

Video game giant Valve faces lawsuit over its online store

Mirror

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BBC

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BBC

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Consumer Voice

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CityAM

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About the Claim

Are you a PC gamer? Have you used Steam or any other online video game platform?

On 4 June 2024, digital rights campaigner Vicki Shotbolt launched a landmark legal claim against leading PC gaming platform operator, Valve, in relation to its Steam platform.

On 26 January 2026, the Competition Appeal Tribunal handed down a judgment certifying the claim against Valve and confirming that it can proceed to trial. A summary of the Tribunal’s decision is available here. The Tribunal formalised this decision by way of a Collective Proceedings Order “CPO”, which is available here.

The claim, filed in the Competition Appeal Tribunal, is on behalf of UK PC gamers who may have overpaid for games or in-game content due to Valve’s practices.

If the claim is successful, you could be eligible for compensation if you paid for PC games or add-on game content in the UK anytime from 4 June 2018 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or 1 January 2010 in Scotland to 4 June 2024.

Further information regarding the claim can be found in the Collective Proceedings Claim Form, available here.

Milberg London LLP are also engaged in separate collective proceedings against Sony PlayStation. For further information on this claim, please visit: https://playstationyouoweus.co.uk/.

Key stats

120,000+

The number of games available on the Steam gaming platform.

Up to 30%

The rate of commission Valve charges developers for games sold on Steam.

£656 million

The total amount of compensation that has been estimated as owed by Valve to UK consumers.

14 million

The number of PC gamers in the UK who could have been overcharged by Valve.

£22 to £44

The amount of money that affected gamers could be owed in the UK (with consumers in Scotland potentially owed more compensation).