Mohsen Baqery is a Staff Writer at GameRant based in Turkey. He mainly covers video game news and industry features while occasionally publishing guides and listicles. Mohsen started his journey into video game journalism by self-publishing reviews of games he loved, which led to freelance work for smaller online publications and launched his professional writing career.
In response to monopoly allegations, Valve CEO Gabe Newell stated that Steam does not dictate prices to developers and that PC gamers are free to buy games from whichever storefront they prefer. The allegations stem from a lawsuit initially filed in 2021 by independent developer Wolfire Games LLC. In the lawsuit, Wolfire argued that Valve has abused its position in the industry by enforcing a platform-wide “Most Favored Nation” pricing policy. According to the developer, this policy prevents publishers from selling their games on other platforms at prices lower than those offered on Steam.
Valve is Facing Another Lawsuit
Valve finds itself in the crosshairs of another lawsuit, as a case in the state of Washington has been filed against the PC gaming giant.
Valve Does Not Dictate Prices to Developers, Valve’s CEO Says
A previously unreported transcript has revealed Gabe Newell’s response to monopoly accusations involving Steam: “Valve does not have a policy or practice of dictating prices to third-party software developers on other platforms.” According to Bloomberg, the CEO repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Questioning the basis of the allegations, Newell also argued that gamers are free to purchase games from any storefront they choose, citing Xbox and the Epic Games Store as examples. However, it is worth noting that these statements were made in November 2023, and the lawsuit against Valve remains ongoing.