Valve's Gabe Newell argues that players have "enormous choice" in response to Steam monopoly allegations

Valve CEO Gabe Newell has rejected accusations that Steam is a monopoly in an ongoing antitrust lawsuit, arguing in court that PC players have “enormous choice” over where they buy games.

The details:

• Back in 2023, indie studio Wolfire Games filed an antitrust lawsuit that claims Valve illegally maintains its dominance in the PC gaming space, allowing it to take a 30% cut and get away with several alleged anti-competitive policies.
• As reported by Bloomberg, Valve CEO Gabe Newell provided an in-person testimony defending the company from the allegations, arguing that customers can choose “whether they buy the game on an Xbox, whether they buy it on Steam, whether they buy it on Epic Games Store or whether they buy it directly from software developers.” He added that Steam has continued to succeed and grow through “store development and constant innovation,” rather than blocking out competitors.
• Newell also denied the existence of an “unwritten rule” that developers cannot sell their games cheaper on other PC stores, although he was shown internal communications that seemingly supported Wolfire’s claims. "Valve does not have a policy or practice of dictating prices to third-party software developers on other platforms,” he said.
• Valve is also involved in a similar $900 million lawsuit in the UK, where the company has been accused of using its position as a market leader to overcharge and push away any competition. The aforementioned “unwritten rule” is also highlighted in the legal battle.