Steam platformer owner and game developer Valve is being sued for €220 million in a Dutch class action lawsuit. Valve has suffered several major lawsuits throughout 2026 so far, including another US-based class action lawsuit and a suit filed by the State of New York. Despite Steam being such a popular storefront for PC gamers, Valve is finding itself in hot water with consumer groups.
Lawsuits aside, Valve has already made headlines in 2026 for its upcoming hardware releases. The Steam Deck recently got a massive price increase, bringing the cheapest 512GB Steam Deck OLED model up to $789, and the 1TB model up to $949. Valve is also planning to launch the Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR headset in the coming year, following the recent release of the new second-generation Steam Controller.
Every Lawsuit Against Steam Storefront Owner Valve Explained
Valve, the company behind games like Half-Life 2 and the massive gaming storefront Steam, has found itself in the legal crosshairs of several parties.
Valve is Facing a 220 Million Dutch Class Action Lawsuit
According to the Dutch website NL Times, PC gamers in the Netherlands are suing Valve for €220 million, claiming the company is participating in anti-competitive business practices. The suit is being handled by the Stichting Consumenten Competition Claims (CCC), which alleges that Valve is in violation of competition laws via the Most-Favored Nation clauses. With the company holding around 85% of its market share, this suit claims that Valve is preventing developers from selling games for cheaper on rival platforms, like the Epic Games Store, in an attempt to maintain a monopoly on the PC games market.
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Drag weapons to fill the grid
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Currently, Valve takes a 30% cut of all game sales on the platform, which the suit argues is monopolistic behavior. Valve also requires users to pay with their Steam Wallet for all in-game purchases on the platform, which are also subject to a 30% commission. The fact that Valve prevents developers from directing in-game purchasers to cheaper, non-Steam options, the suit argues, is anti-consumer behavior that violates Dutch consumer laws.
Dutch Steam users can still sign up to preserve their right to compensation should this lawsuit go to trial through the CCC’s website.
This class action lawsuit is just the latest in a string of legal troubles Valve has faced in 2026. Back in February 2026, the State of New York sued Valve over claims that loot boxes promoted gambling towards children. This suit was followed by a nationwide class action lawsuit that essentially argued the same stance on Valve’s loot boxes. In March, the UK’s Performing Right Society sued Valve, alleging that the company was distributing games on Steam using works from its members without their permission.
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Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible.
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So far, Valve CEO Gabe Newell has rejected claims of monopoly behavior by the company. Currently, the suit has not been formally filed, and the CCC hopes to come to a settlement with Valve instead of going to trial. However, if Valve fails to respond or rejects negotiations, the group says it plans to take the company to court through formal litigation. It’s unclear how long this suit could last, with a potential of up to 5 years before any sort of resolution is reached.