Epic CEO Criticizes Steam’s 30% Fee As Valve Faces Major UK Lawsuit

Valve is facing a massive lawsuit in the UK, and its competitor Epic Games’s CEO Tim Sweeney is adding fuel to the fire. The case is about Steam’s long-standing “monopoly” in the gaming world, mainly how its commission and payment rules work. Sweeny is using this moment to reinforce his long-running criticism of Valve’s platform.

What The UK Lawsuit Is About

The UK lawsuit mainly revolves around the following claims:

• Valve allegedly requires that if someones bought a game on Steam, all DLCs and other content of that game must also be purchased through Steam, which locks consumers into its ecosystem.
• That arrangement enabled Valve to charge commissions of up to 30 percent on games and add-ons, costs that may have been passed on to buyers rather than absorbed by publishers
• The lawsuit seeks compensation for UK players who may have overpaid for games and content because of those restrictions

Valve attempted to have the case thrown out, but the tribunal ruled that the claims were strong enough to move forward. If the lawsuit succeeds, it could result in compensation for UK players and force changes to how Steam structures its business in the region.

Tim Sweeney’s Response

Tim Sweeney has shared criticism against Valve for a while. He has reinforced his points further after the lawsuit began. He has criticized Steam’s 30% cut on various occasions. Here is a tweet from him about this.

Steam’s rules do explicitly prohibit games from steering players to competing purchase methods, forcing everyone to pay 30% to Valve.

Apple and Google did the same until the court explicitly found this practice to be unlawful. Now they don’t! https://t.co/dIyZlKAkBW

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) January 30, 2026

Tim Sweeney has publicly backed the lawsuit and used it as an opportunity to criticize Steam’s policies. His main focus is not just the size of the commission, but how tightly Steam controls payments. Sweeney argues that Steam does not allow developers to direct players to alternative payment systems, effectively forcing every transaction through Valve’s own infrastructure. Basically, everything related to the game, whether it be a DLC or an in-game purchase, can only be purchased through Steam, where it is commissioned.

Currently there's a misleading community note on this. Yes, you can buy Steam keys off Steam.

ONCE YOU OWN A GAME, Steam forces developers to use Steam payments for all in-game purchases and pay 30%. This is the practice courts found illegal for Apple and Google. https://t.co/TnQfqBtRB4

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) January 30, 2026

Why This Matters

For a long time, many digital gaming stores have voiced out their opinion on Steam. Many claim it’s running a “monopoly.”  Beyond that rivalry, the lawsuit reflects broader questions about how much power major digital platforms should have over pricing, payments, and competition.

While the UK case is still in its early stages, it adds to growing legal pressure on Valve worldwide. How it plays out could have lasting effects, not just on Steam, but on how digital game marketplaces operate going forward.