Dutch non-profit set to take Valve to court for keeping game prices high

The Consumer Competition Claims Foundation has launched "Game Claim,” a campaign inviting Dutch gamers to sign up for action against Valve. The non-profit says Valve artificially inflates PC game prices by charging a 30% commission on Steam sales, with that cut dropping to 25% after $10 million in revenue and 20% after $50 million.

The group says it will seek negotiations with Valve first and pursue litigation if talks fail. The CCCF alleges Valve prevents publishers and developers from offering lower prices on rival PC stores through contractual terms and pressure, which forces publishers to raise prices across platforms to cover Steam’s commission.

The campaign points to platforms such as the Epic Games Store, which takes about a 12% cut, as examples of where prices could be lower. Valve and president Gabe Newell deny having a policy of dictating prices to third‑party developers; Newell was shown evidence of employees enforcing such a rule in a 2023 court hearing but continued to deny a formal policy.

Netherlands

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