No confirmed Microsoft–Valve deal was announced. In February 2018, reports said Valve co-founder Gabe Newell had replied to a fan asking whether Microsoft was buying Valve: “Not that I’m aware of.” It was an alleged email exchange, not a formal company statement, and one contemporaneous report cautioned that the reply could be fake.
What did Gabe Newell reportedly say?
Newell reportedly replied, “Not that I’m aware of,” after a Valve fan emailed to ask whether the company was being bought. Softpedia reported the exchange on February 5, 2018, and MSPoweruser covered it the following day. Both accounts describe a short email response; neither presents it as an official Valve announcement.
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Softpedia said the reply was from someone who “appears to be Gabe Newell himself” and explicitly warned that it could be fake. MSPoweruser noted that the sender address appeared consistent with Newell’s public contact address, but that detail does not independently authenticate the exchange. Softpedia’s February 5 report and MSPoweruser’s February 6 report preserve the contemporaneous accounts.
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Where did the Microsoft–Valve rumor come from?
The rumor belongs to the February 2018 news cycle. Softpedia reported that speculation had circulated the previous week about Microsoft potentially pursuing major gaming acquisitions, with Electronic Arts also mentioned. Les Numériques likewise described claims about Microsoft’s acquisition appetite as context for the speculation. Those reports explain how the story spread; they do not verify that Microsoft planned to buy Valve.
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At the time, Les Numériques noted that neither company had reacted after a week. That absence of a response was not confirmation of a deal. The reported fan email was a separate, informal exchange—not a statement issued by Valve or Microsoft.
Is Microsoft buying Valve now?
The cited contemporaneous reports establish a 2018 rumor and an alleged reply, not a current transaction. The material available here does not establish whether private discussions exist as of October 4, 2026. Microsoft’s public acquisition history lists disclosed acquisitions, but a public list cannot confirm or rule out undisclosed talks.
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What the reported reply does—and does not—show
| Evidence | What it supports | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Reported email reply, February 2018 | Contemporaneous outlets attributed “Not that I’m aware of” to Newell in response to a fan’s question. | A formal Valve announcement, confirmation of a sale, or independently verified authenticity. |
| Reports about Microsoft’s acquisition appetite | Context for why the rumor attracted attention in 2018. | Proof that Microsoft intended to acquire Valve. |
| Microsoft’s public acquisition-history page | A list of disclosed acquisitions. | The status of any private or unannounced discussions. |
For additional contemporaneous context, Les Numériques’ report discusses the rumor’s reported origins and the lack of a company response at that time.
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