Yes, the UK Steam lawsuit is real—but it is not a £656 million payout and Valve has not been found liable. The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has certified an opt-out collective action alleging that Valve abused a dominant position through Steam’s pricing, distribution and payment rules. The claim materials put potential damages at up to £656 million, roughly $900 million depending on the exchange rate. The case remained active on August 18, 2026.
What is the Steam lawsuit?
The case is Vicki Shotbolt Class Representative Limited v Valve Corporation, CAT case number 1640/7/7/24. It is before England’s Competition Appeal Tribunal and is brought under sections 47A and 47B of the Competition Act 1998. For conduct before December 31, 2020, the claim also invokes Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Visa Virtual eGift Card | $54.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Visa Virtual eGift Card | $28.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Visa Virtual eGift Card | $105.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
$500 Apple Gift Card—Email Delivery | $500.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Visa Virtual eGift Card | $206.95 | Buy on Amazon |
Vicki Shotbolt Class Representative Limited is acting for proposed UK consumers; Valve Corporation operates Steam. The procedure is broadly comparable to a class action, but uses the UK’s statutory collective-proceedings regime. The CAT case record is at the official case page.
What Valve is accused of doing
Platform-parity obligations
The claimant alleges that Valve’s contractual or commercial terms stopped publishers from offering the same games or add-on products elsewhere on better terms than on Steam. The competition theory is not simply that Steam charges a commission. It is that restrictions on cheaper rival pricing reduce competitive pressure on Steam, allowing higher charges or prices to persist.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Anti-steering and add-on-content restrictions
The claim alleges that games distributed through Steam and supporting in-game purchases must use Steam’s application programming interface and payment service. According to the claimant, this limits publishers’ ability to direct customers to alternative payment or distribution channels for DLC, subscriptions, virtual currency and other add-on content.
Allegedly excessive commissions
The claimant also alleges that Valve’s commission is an unfairly high price and that the cost is passed to consumers through higher game and add-on prices. That is an allegation still to be tested; the CAT has not ruled that Valve’s commission is legally excessive.
What commission rates are described in the case?
The CAT’s January 2026 judgment records Valve’s standard commercial structure in the litigation materials as follows:
| Title sales revenue | Recorded revenue share |
|---|---|
| First $10 million | 30% |
| Between $10 million and $50 million | 25% |
| Above $50 million | 20% |
These figures describe the arrangements discussed in the case, not a universal fee applying identically to every Steam transaction or partner. Effective rates can differ because of Steam Keys, other distribution routes and separate payment or distribution charges. Game sales, DLC, subscriptions and in-game purchases may also involve different arrangements. The full judgment is available at the CAT’s PDF decision.
Rank #2
- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
What the January 2026 ruling actually decided
On January 26, 2026, the CAT granted certification for the collective action on an opt-out basis. The formal Collective Proceedings Order (CPO) was made on March 11, 2026; the claimant’s repository publishes the formal CPO.
Certification means the proposed class representative satisfied the procedural requirements and that the case can be tried collectively. It is not a finding that Valve infringed competition law, that Steam is legally a monopoly, or that any consumer was overcharged.
The tribunal rejected Valve’s attempt to prevent certification on issues including Steam Keys, the proposed method for testing platform-parity allegations and the certainty of the class definition, including the presence of potential minors. It considered those issues capable of being addressed through evidence, disclosure and damages methodology at trial.
Who may be included?
The claimant’s materials estimate a potential class of approximately 9.3 million to 14.2 million UK consumers, often summarized as “up to 14 million.” The proposed class concerns people who paid for PC games or add-on content, including subscriptions, during the legally relevant period. It does not include everyone who has ever had a Steam account.
Rank #3
- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
The original claim notice described these starting dates:
- England, Wales and Northern Ireland: purchases from June 4, 2018.
- Scotland: purchases from January 1, 2010.
The operative CPO and later orders control the final class definition, qualifying transactions and cutoff date. The original notice contemplated a period running to the CPO date and reserved the possibility of seeking an extension to final judgment or an earlier settlement. Check the current documents at the claimant’s document repository rather than relying on summaries.
Important eligibility complications
- Steam Keys: A key bought from a third-party retailer may not fit a simple “Steam purchase” test. The operative class definition and eventual damages model matter.
- Other PC storefronts: The pleadings contemplate purchases through Steam or other channels in relevant circumstances, but an Epic Games Store or publisher-store purchase is not automatically covered.
- Add-on content: The claim includes DLC, subscriptions, features, characters and in-game currency, not only base games.
- Minors and account ownership: The relevant person may be the account holder or licensee. A parent who paid for a child’s account should follow any court-approved procedure rather than assume an automatic claim.
- Location: The proceeding concerns UK-based consumers. Users in the United States, Canada or elsewhere should not infer that they are included.
How much could an individual receive?
The original claim notice provisionally estimated:
| Purchase type | Provisional estimate |
|---|---|
| Games | £8–£23 |
| Add-on content | £14–£29 |
| Total per class member | £22–£44 |
The same materials put aggregate damages at up to £656 million, approximately $900 million. These are claimant estimates, not an award, settlement fund or guaranteed payout. The eventual result could be lower, higher or zero, and could use a different methodology depending on liability, causation, evidence, appeals, settlement and the number of qualifying purchases.
A reader is not currently entitled to a guaranteed share of £656 million. The tribunal has not found Valve liable and has not ordered compensation.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rank #4
- For all things Apple - products, accessories, apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, iCloud+, and more.
- Perfect for App Store purchases and subscriptions—get apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, and more.
- The perfect gift to say happy birthday, thank you, congratulations, and more.
- Available in $15 - 500, Card delivered via email or SMS
- Use it for purchases at any Apple Store location, on the Apple Store app, apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple News+, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Fitness+, Apple One, and other Apple properties in US only
Why Steam Keys mattered
Steam Keys are activation codes that publishers can distribute through third-party retailers and that customers redeem on Steam. The judgment records that Valve provides keys to Steam Partners without charging a commission on the key sale itself.
Valve argued that keys make effective-commission calculations difficult because Valve may not know the final retail price, keys can pass through different retailers or bundles, some issued keys are never redeemed, and issuance and redemption can occur in different periods. The CAT accepted that these are genuine evidential difficulties but held that they did not make collective proceedings impossible. It did not decide that the proposed commission calculation was already proven.
Procedural timeline
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| June 4, 2024 | CAT received the application to commence collective proceedings. |
| October 14, 2025 | Hearing of the CPO application. |
| January 26, 2026 | CAT judgment granted certification on an opt-out basis. |
| March 11, 2026 | Formal Collective Proceedings Order made. |
| June 22, 2026 | Further case-management conference on directions and disclosure. |
| July 9, 2026 | Confidentiality-ring order recorded on the CAT case page. |
| August 18, 2026 | Case remained active; no upcoming public event was listed on the CAT page. |
See the live procedural record at the CAT case page.
What “opt-out” means for Steam users
An opt-out collective action generally includes eligible class members automatically unless they take the legally prescribed steps to leave. The CAT considered this structure suitable because the possible class is very large, individual losses may be small, many potential members may be minors and separate lawsuits would usually be impractical.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteBest Value
- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
Do not submit money, pay an intermediary to “join,” or rely on a social-media promise of a fixed payout. Unless an official notice says otherwise, there is no immediate claim form to complete.
What happens next?
The case can proceed through disclosure, expert evidence, further case management and ultimately a trial, unless it settles earlier. Any liability finding, damages calculation, distribution process, opt-out deadline or appeal will depend on later CAT orders. The absence of a listed public hearing date does not mean the case has ended.
What UK Steam users should do now
- Check the official CAT case page and claimant document repository.
- Read the operative CPO notice for the current class definition and any deadline.
- Keep Steam receipts, retailer invoices, email confirmations and payment records.
- Do not assume that account ownership, a Steam login or any single purchase proves eligibility.
- Be especially cautious of anyone requesting payment or promising guaranteed compensation.
The bottom line
This is a genuine UK antitrust collective action that has cleared an important procedural hurdle. It is not a judgment against Valve, and the £656 million figure is a provisional aggregate claim estimate—not money currently available to Steam users.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
