The antitrust lawsuit filed against Valve by Wolfire Studios and Dark Catt Studios has been granted class-action status, significantly expanding the scope of the legal battle. This development, reported by GamesIndustry.biz, follows a court document revealing the granted motion for class certification by United States District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead.
The lawsuit, initially filed in 2021, challenges Valve's 30% commission on game sales, arguing it represents anti-competitive practices and exploits developers and consumers. While some initial claims were dismissed, the developers revised their arguments, leading to the recent class-action certification.
The class action now encompasses any developers, publishers, or individuals who paid commission to Valve for game sales on or after January 28, 2017. The judge also denied Valve's request to exclude the testimony of expert Dr. Steven Schwartz, who will be arguing the case for the plaintiffs.
This case mirrors a similar class-action lawsuit against Sony regarding their control over digital game sales. The timeline for the Valve lawsuit remains uncertain, but it could take several years to resolve, similar to the ongoing Sony case.
