Key facts
- Valve is facing multiple lawsuits concerning its Steam platform.
- Two lawsuits challenge Steam's 30% commission on sales.
- One lawsuit targets microtransaction practices in games like Counter-Strike.
- Gabe Newell stated in a deposition that customers have "enormous choice."
- Newell argued against Steam being considered a monopoly.
Valve's digital storefront, Steam, is currently facing several lawsuits. Two of these lawsuits, one in the US and another in the UK, specifically challenge the 30% commission that Valve takes on every purchase made through its platform. Additionally, a separate lawsuit targets the microtransaction practices within games such as Counter-Strike. In response to these legal challenges, Valve's boss, Gabe Newell, has stated in a deposition that customers have "enormous choice" when it comes to purchasing PC games. Newell is attempting to argue that Steam does not operate as a monopoly, citing the availability of games across various consoles and PC platforms as evidence of this choice.