Were 14 million Brits scammed by Steam?

The owner of Steam, the world's largest digital distribution platform for PC games, is currently facing a £656 million lawsuit.

Valve Corporation, which operates the Steam platform, has been accused of using its dominant market role to overcharge its 14 million UK users.

"Valve is rigging the market and exploiting British gamers," said Vicki Shotbolt, a digital rights campaigner who filed the case at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London. In it, the company Valve is accused of "eliminating" competition in the market for computer games. He claims that Valve is "forcing" game publishers to sign contracts that prevent them from selling games on other platforms at lower prices.

Shotbolt says this has allowed Steam to charge "exorbitant fees of up to 30 per cent", causing UK consumers to overpay for PC games and add-on content. It is a so-called collective action, which means that one person goes to court on behalf of a much larger group of people.

Shotbolt, who accuses Valve of breaching UK competition law for at least six years, says she is suing "to stop this illegal practice and help people get back what is rightfully theirs".

Steam is the largest PC gaming platform where players can purchase games and in-game accessories. 2023 was another record year for them. At the global level, they had as much as 9 billion US dollars in revenue. As many as 580 million games were sold on the platform.

The market is very tight. The top 10 best-selling games account for 61 percent of total sales. The 100 best-selling games represent as much as 91 percent of total sales.