Gabe Newell to Testify on Steam's Alleged Monopolistic Practices

Source: Valve.

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You may remember that in April 2021, Wolfire Games - the creators of Overgrowth and the Receiver series - sued Valve in connection with "monopolistic practices of Steam." In July of that year, Gabe Newell's company responded to the allegations, and in November a Washington court rejected the developer's lawsuit.

However, the latter appealed, as a result of which the case lived to see further developments in May 2022. At that time, the court ruled that Valve "is guilty of higher game prices" and must face an antitrust trial.

The trial is still ongoing. Lawyers for Wolfire Games have decided to call the head of Valve himself as a witness, claiming that Newell "is uniquely positioned to testify on all aspects of [Valve's - ed. note] business strategy"

The man, however, asked to attend the trial remotely, for fear of contracting the coronavirus, which in recent months once again began spreading in the United States and Europe. This did not sit well with Wolfire Games's lawyers, claiming that only "in-person testimony will adequately assess Newell's credibility" (via GamesIndustry.biz).

In the end, the court decided that the head of Valve must appear in the courtroom personally, as he presented "insignificantevidence to suggest that he is particularly vulnerable to a serious illness [i.e., more so than the rest of the population - ed. note]." Nevertheless, according to the decree, trial participants will have to wear masks - only those answering questions will have to remove them.

To broaden the context, it is worth adding that this is not the only legal battle Valve is currently involved in. In September we informed that the management of Steam had violated European Union regulations by imposing regional blockades on digital game keys. The case is still pending, but all indications are that this US company will have to pay a hefty fine.