- Valve is being sued for £656 million for allegedly rigging and exploiting UK gamers.
- The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of 14 million gamers.
- If the lawsuit proves successful, Valve can face serious consequences.
Steam’s parent company, Valve, has recently found itself in deep water, as the giant is being sued in the UK for allegedly exploiting players.
The developer behind renowned titles like Counter-Strike and Dota is facing a massive lawsuit of £656 million (approximately $839 million) for allegedly using its market dominance to rig and exploit UK gamers.
Why it matters: Valve has been leading the PC industry, with Steam being the biggest game distributor on the platform for a long time. If the lawsuit succeeds, it could lead to significant consequences for the company.
The lawsuit has been filed by digital rights campaigner and class representative Vicki Shotbolt on behalf of 14 million PC players. It is a collective action claim filed in the UK at the Competition Appeal Tribunal on June 5.
The lawsuit states that Valve has allegedly shut out competition for PC games and in-game content. They have imposed pricing restrictions on game publishers, which has affected prices on rival platforms.
Valve has been accused of breaching UK competition law for at least six years. As a result, the class action includes anyone who lived in the UK and purchased PC games or add-on content from June 5, 2018, onwards.
Unless the class member chooses to opt-out, they will be considered part of the 14 million players allegedly exploited by Valve in the lawsuit.
If the lawsuit is successful, each class member could be entitled to an estimated compensation of up to £44. This potential outcome could represent a significant financial loss for Valve and could substantially impact Steam.
The lawsuit is being supported by Millberg London LLP, a firm recognized for handling group action cases. They are currently involved in a similar £5 billion lawsuit against Sony.
The lawsuit could indeed take years to reach a conclusion, but the potential stakes are high for Valve if the verdict goes against them. We await updates eagerly and hope for a favorable outcome for the consumers.
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