Valve’s Steam Monopoly Trial Advances, Threatening Game Pricing Power Worldwide
Valve’s dominance in PC gaming has long been regarded as one of the most remarkable success stories in modern digital commerce. Steam, the company’s flagship platform, transformed how games are distributed, updated, monetized, and preserved. For millions of players, Steam is not just a storefront—it is the PC gaming ecosystem itself. Yet in 2026, that dominance has become the foundation of one of the most consequential legal challenges the gaming industry has ever faced. A UK court has now ruled that Valve cannot dismiss a £656 million (approximately $900 million) collective action lawsuit alleging anti-competitive pricing and unfair market practices. … Read more