Antitrust Lawsuit Filed Against Valve in 2021 Reeks of the Fortnite vs Apple Legal Battle and Could Become a Massive Headache for Steam

The gaming industry’s digital marketplaces seem to keep finding themselves in hot water over their business practices. Just as the dust was beginning to settle on Epic Games’ battle with Apple, Valve is now facing what could become one of the most significant legal challenges in Steam’s history.

What started as a single developer’s stand against Steam’s market practices has evolved into something much bigger, potentially affecting the entire PC gaming ecosystem. And if the similarities to the Fortnite maker’s infamous court battle are anything to go by, we might be in for quite a ride.

A David vs Goliath Battle Takes Steam

The story begins with Wolfire Games, an indie studio founded by David Rosen in 2003. Known for games like Overgrowth and Receiver, Wolfire might seem like an unlikely challenger to Steam’s dominance. But in 2021, they decided to take on Valve‘s digital storefront over what they saw as anti-competitive practices.

Now, that lawsuit, GI.biz reports, has been granted class action status by Judge Jamal N. Whitehead—transforming it from a single developer’s stand into something far, far more significant. Any developer who’s paid Steam’s commission since January 2017 can now join the fight—and in the PC gaming market, that’s a surprisingly long list of potential plaintiffs.

The plot thickened when the court allowed Dr. Steven Schwartz’s expert testimony, despite Valve’s objections. His analysis puts some hard numbers behind what most PC gamers already knew: Steam isn’t just the market leader—it’s bigger than all the other platforms combined. Talk about a high score.

At the heart of the matter is Valve’s Platform Most Favored Nations (MFN) policy—a requirement that games sold on Steam must be offered at the same or higher price across all platforms.

While this might sound reasonable on paper, Wolfire argues it effectively prevents price competition between different storefronts. When combined with Steam’s market dominance, they claim this policy ensures other platforms remain perpetually in Steam’s shadow.

The 30% Question That Won’t Go Away

It’s fascinating how often this particular percentage comes up in digital marketplace disputes. First, it was Epic Games challenging Apple‘s 30% cut on the App Store. Now, Valve faces similar scrutiny over Steam’s commission structure, with Wolfire arguing that the rate is “extraordinarily high” and constitutes anti-competitive practices.

Epic Games’ own attempt to challenge Steam’s dominance tells an interesting story. Despite offering developers a better revenue split of 88/12 and securing exclusive titles—and having Fortnite‘s seemingly endless resources behind them—the Epic Games Store has barely made Steam break a sweat.

When even Tim Sweeney’s billions can’t change the game, you know you’re dealing with some serious market entrenchment.

But there’s a key difference between this case and the Epic vs. Apple battle. While Fortnite‘s absence from iOS devices mainly affected mobile gamers, this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for the entire PC gaming ecosystem. After all, Steam isn’t just another platform—it’s the platform where most, if not all, PC gamers call home.

What do you think about this latest development in the ongoing saga of digital marketplace disputes? Could this case change the PC gaming market as we know it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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