The antitrust lawsuit against Steam is now a class action, and that could have big repercussions for Valve

(Image credit: Valve)

The antitrust lawsuit filed against Valve by Wolfire Games in 2022 has now been certified as a class action, and that could be a real headache for Valve. Instead of applying only to Wolfire (and Dark Catt Studios, which filed a separate antitrust lawsuit in 2021), the action will now apply to virtually anyone who's sold games on Steam since 2017.

Overgrowth developer Wolfire originally filed suit against Valve in April 2021, contending that Valve uses Steam's dominance in the PC gaming marketplace to suppress competition and extract an unfairly high cut of sales made through the store. The case was dismissed in November of the same year, but Wolfire was given 30 days to amend and refile its complaint, and so it did, bringing the case back to life in 2022. In July of that year, Wolfire's suit was combined with a similar antitrust lawsuit filed by Dark Catt.

The suit has ground on through various bits of legal wrangling since, but this latest decision is interesting because it broadens the action to include, well, just about everyone. The ruling (via GamesIndustry) certifies the class as "all persons or entities who, directly or through an agent, paid a commission to Valve in connection with the sale or use of a game on the Steam platform on or after January 28, 2017, and continuing through the present until the effects of its scheme are eliminated (the 'Class Period'), and where either (1) the person or entity was based in the United States and its territories or (2) the game was purchased or acquired by a United States-based consumer during the Class Period."

"It is an honor to represent the interests of all PC game developers as we fight to ensure that competition is not being unlawfully restrained," Wolfire founder and CEO David Rosen told PC Gamer. "We’re committed to letting the facts speak for themselves and trust the legal process to thoroughly and fairly evaluate our claims."

Valve took another bump in the ruling as the judge denied its request to exclude the testimony of Dr. Steven Schwartz, called by the plaintiffs as an expert witness. "Dr. Schwartz’s methods are reliable and within the norms for admission," the ruling states, while Valve's arguments against his inclusion "go to the weight of the evidence, rather than admissibility."

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.