The British organization Parent Zone has filed a lawsuit against Valve for nearly 900 million dollars — once again over the 30% commission on Steam.

British organization Parent Zone files a nearly $900 million lawsuit against Valve — again over Steam's 30% commission

The economics of digital stores have become one of the main topics in the gaming industry, largely thanks to Tim Sweeney. Years of criticism over high commissions led to the launch of the Epic Games Store with its 12% cut and victories against Apple and Google, which forced the giants to allow alternative stores on their platforms.

Valve continues to charge 30% on Steam, despite lawsuits from developers in the US. A similar process is gaining momentum in the UK — led by digital security expert Vicki Shotbolt. She calls Steam a fantastic product but is convinced that, as the market leader, the company is breaking the rules of the game.

The essence of the claims is the 30% commission, which leads to higher prices, and the price parity requirement: a developer cannot sell game keys cheaper anywhere else than on Steam. According to Shotbolt, this kills competition. PC game developers simply have nowhere to go: Steam is an almost irreplaceable distribution channel. And it's unfair to take advantage of this position.

If the lawsuit is won, British consumers could receive up to £656 million in compensation. For Shotbolt, resetting the relationship between Valve and developers is more important. The market is healthy when creators have freedom of choice — including the right to move to another seller and set their own price.