The Steam UK lawsuit is a £656 million collective competition claim against Valve Corporation that the Competition Appeal Tribunal certified on 26 January 2026. It covers up to 14 million UK consumers who paid for PC games, downloadable content, or subscriptions on Steam during the relevant period, and because it was certified on an opt-out basis, qualifying UK residents were automatically included without having to sign up. If the claim succeeds, individual payouts are estimated at £22 to £44 per person.
What Valve Is Accused Of
The case, Vicki Shotbolt Class Representative Limited v Valve Corporation (Case No. 1640/7/7/24), was filed on 4 June 2024 under Chapter II of the Competition Act 1998, which prohibits abuse of a dominant market position.1Competition Appeal Tribunal. Vicki Shotbolt Class Representative Limited v Valve Corporation
The claim rests on three allegations. Valve is said to impose “platform parity obligations” (sometimes called most-favored-nation clauses) that prevent game publishers from offering their titles more cheaply on rival stores such as the Epic Games Store. It is said to require all in-game purchases for Steam-distributed games to be processed through Steam’s own payment system, tying add-on sales to the platform. And it is said to charge publishers commissions of up to 30%, costs the claim says are passed on to consumers through higher prices.2Steam You Owe Us. FAQs
The claimants put Valve’s share of the UK PC game distribution market at roughly 75%, a figure supported by a 2025 survey of developers in which 88% reported that Steam accounts for more than three-quarters of their revenue.380 Level. Steam Accounts for Over 75% of Revenue for the Majority of Game Developers At that scale, the claim argues, Valve can set terms that suppress price competition across PC gaming as a whole, affecting even consumers who buy on other platforms.4Esports Legal News. Steam £656M Lawsuit Platform Pricing
Who Is Covered
You fall within the class if you were living or domiciled in the UK on 11 March 2026 and paid for PC games, add-on content, or subscriptions during the relevant period.2Steam You Owe Us. FAQs
The dates differ by jurisdiction:
- England, Wales, and Northern Ireland: purchases between 4 June 2018 and 4 June 2024.
- Scotland: purchases between 1 January 2010 and 4 June 2024.
The longer Scottish period reflects a longer limitation window under Scots law. Both are drawn from the class representative’s published scheme.2Steam You Owe Us. FAQs
The class is led by Vicki Shotbolt, a digital rights campaigner and founder of Parent Zone, acting through a special-purpose company. She has said she will not personally profit from the outcome.5Steam You Owe Us. About Us The claim is funded by Bench Walk Advisors, so consumers in the class pay nothing to participate.6ICLG. Steam Owner Valve Forced to Face £656M Collective Action
Do You Need to Do Anything?
No. The case was certified on an opt-out basis, meaning every qualifying UK resident is automatically part of the class.2Steam You Owe Us. FAQs
Anyone who wanted to be excluded had until 11 June 2026 to submit an opt-out form. Non-UK residents who wanted to be included had the same window to opt in. Both deadlines have now passed.2Steam You Owe Us. FAQs
If the claim succeeds, estimated individual payouts are £22 to £44, drawn from a total provisionally assessed at up to £656 million for a class of roughly 14 million people.6ICLG. Steam Owner Valve Forced to Face £656M Collective Action A payout is not guaranteed. The case still has to be won or settled, and Valve is contesting it.
What the Tribunal Decided in January 2026
A panel of the Competition Appeal Tribunal certified the case as an opt-out collective action in judgment [2026] CAT 4, dated 26 January 2026.1Competition Appeal Tribunal. Vicki Shotbolt Class Representative Limited v Valve Corporation Certification is a procedural gate: it does not decide whether Valve did anything wrong, only that the case can proceed collectively toward trial.
Valve opposed certification on three grounds, each rejected:
- Valve argued that its “effective commission charge” could not be accurately measured because the claimants’ analysis did not account for Steam Keys, free codes publishers can use to sell games through other channels at no commission. The tribunal accepted the complexity but held that the figure could be estimated from available data using the “broad axe principle” for aggregate damages.7Competition Appeal Tribunal. Vicki Shotbolt Class Representative Limited v Valve Corporation, Judgment (CPO Application)
- Valve said the claimants had no adequate empirical method to show that the alleged parity clauses actually inflated prices, calling the approach “nebulous economic theory.” The tribunal found the claimants had identified a workable legal framework and preliminary economic evidence that could be tested at trial.7Competition Appeal Tribunal. Vicki Shotbolt Class Representative Limited v Valve Corporation, Judgment (CPO Application)
- Valve challenged the class definition, particularly its inclusion of a significant proportion of minors. The tribunal accepted a revised definition tying membership to the person who suffered the financial loss.7Competition Appeal Tribunal. Vicki Shotbolt Class Representative Limited v Valve Corporation, Judgment (CPO Application)
In earlier proceedings Valve also described the claimants’ damages calculations as “fundamentally flawed.”8Law360. Steam Owner Seeks to Block £656M Class Action Over Fees Valve CEO Gabe Newell has publicly rejected similar claims brought abroad, saying Valve does not set prices for external sellers and that Steam’s market position reflects platform quality rather than anti-competitive conduct.9Dualshockers. Dutch €220 Million Class Action Against Steam Joins Growing Wave of Valve Lawsuits
Where the Case Stands Now
The Collective Proceedings Order was formally made on 11 March 2026. A case management conference was listed for 22 June 2026. No trial date has been publicly announced, and the case remains at an early procedural stage.10Steam You Owe Us. Steam You Owe Us Valve continues to contest the claims.
How This Type of UK Class Action Works
The opt-out structure used here was introduced by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and is currently available only for competition law claims before the Competition Appeal Tribunal. Everyone meeting the class definition is included unless they actively remove themselves, which is why cases involving small per-person losses, such as the £22 to £44 range in the Steam claim, can realistically be brought on behalf of millions of people.11BBC. Steam Gaming Lawsuit Cleared to Proceed
Similar claims are moving through the same tribunal. A £2 billion opt-out action against Sony over PlayStation Store pricing, brought by Alex Neill on behalf of about 12.2 million UK users, went to trial on 10 March 2026 with a hearing expected to last around 10 weeks and estimated per-person payouts of about £162.12BBC. PlayStation Download Fees Class Action Lawsuit13Financial Times. PlayStation Antitrust Class Action In Kent v Apple, the tribunal found Apple had abused its dominant position with its 30% App Store commission and exclusion of competing app stores, a ruling expected to produce roughly £1.8 billion in compensation; Apple is appealing.14UCL Laws. Landmark Ruling Kent v Apple and Future UK Competition Law Digital Markets Neither of those cases decides the Steam claim, but they turn on related arguments about digital storefront commissions and parity rules.