Valve facing £656 million UK lawsuit for ‘overcharging 14 million PC players’

A collective action being brought against Valve Corporation in the UK accuses the Steam operator of abusing its dominant position in the marketplace and ripping off consumers.

Digital rights campaigner and class representative Vicki Shotbolt filed a £656 million ($839 million) claim on behalf of 14 million PC players at the Competition Appeal Tribunal on June 5.

“We believe Valve Corporation has been unfairly shutting out competition for PC games and in-game content, which has meant that UK customers have paid too much for these products,” reads a statement on a website dedicated to the claim.

“Vicki accuses Valve Corporation of shutting out competition in the PC gaming market by forcing game publishers to sign up to pricing restrictions that dictate the lowest price games can be sold for on rival platforms.

“This has led to UK consumers paying too much for PC games and add-on content, and has enabled the gaming giant to continue charging an excessive commission – of up to 30% – to publishers.”

Unless they choose to opt out, the class includes anyone who lived in the UK and bought PC games or DLC from June 5, 2018.

If the action is successful, it’s estimated that each class member would be entitled to anywhere between £22 and £44 in compensation.

The case, which may take several years to reach a conclusion, is being paid for by a third-party litigation funder and through conditional fee agreements with legal advisors.

It’s backed by Milberg London, the same consumer advocacy law firm currently working on a similar £5 billion collective action claim against Sony.

Last year, the UK’s specialist competition court rejected Sony’s attempt to quash the suit, which accuses the company of abusing its dominant position in the market by charging excessive PlayStation Store prices, meaning the case can proceed to trial.