Football Manager Players - We May Have a Problem ...

Steam Could Be Banned in the UK - And Football Gamers Are Not Happy

Cover your eyes Football Manager fans, because this could change the world as you know it - children’s rights campaigner Vicki Shotbolt has filed a lawsuit against Valve on behalf of all Steam users in the UK, which, via the judgement of a tribunal, has been allowed to proceed to trial. Should Shotbolt win the case, there are rumours circulating that Steam could be banned in the UK.

🚨STEAM TO BE BANNED IN UK?

Not this again 🤦

Steam have been levelled with a £900 Million lawsuit by the British Government

Once again this could result in the banning of a beloved worldwide brand if they do not comply

Keir Starmer is a menace https://t.co/nwVZ7u3yNg pic.twitter.com/asl95s3zHL

— Basil the Great (@BasilTheGreat) January 28, 2026

Valve, who own Steam, have been served with a £650 million lawsuit which claims that they abused their Steam ‘monopoly’ to impose unfair prices. Should the lawsuit succeed, Steam users could be entitled to compensation and refunds, and the platform would likely be slapped with a UK-wide ban.

Do Valve Have a Monopoly?

On initial viewing, it seems like a perfectly legitimate lawsuit - over 150 million PC gamers use Steam as their main gaming platform thanks to its multipurpose functions, including rooms, social spaces, an extensive game store and modding capacity.

However, in the English dictionary, a monopoly is defined as a “company or group having exclusive control over a commodity or service”, a statement which doesn’t ring true here.

Steam is indeed the dominant brand in the gaming space, but thanks only to the precious lack of serious competitors in the same space. The only reason Steam dominates is because they offer what is a genuine, high-quality product, while all of their rivals struggle to make a product that is half as sleek, falling short in a number of key areas.

Valve faces a $900 million lawsuit in the UK over Steam pricing and commissions

The lawsuit claims Valve abused its Steam monopoly to impose "unfair" prices pic.twitter.com/UveQZy8D4k

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) January 27, 2026

As for the unfair prices, social media has gone into a state of uproar, once again defending the gaming hub that has some of the fairest prices in the game. Moreover, when other platforms such as Loaded (formerly CD Keys) offer better prices, Steam embraces their generosity rather than ignores it, allowing games from such platforms to be made available on Steam through the use of one-time codes provided when the game is purchased.

So is the tribunal accusing Steam of abusing their dominance or competitors of failing to compete? The likes of Epic Games, Origin, Ubisoft Connect and the Xbox Store all offer a similar product, but they have also all failed to provide them with the attraction that draws so many people to Steam.

It begs the question: what is the line between a monopoly of power and market interest? It can only be one or the other, and given that Steam is one of the oldest platforms out there, I very much suspect the latter.

What Exactly is Valve Accused Of?

Shotbolt’s claim alleges that “Valve has abused its dominant position in the PC gaming market under UK competition law by imposing excessive commission charges and anti-competitive restrictions on game developers selling game titles on the Steam platform.”

Your daily reminder that the main reason Valve/Steam has such a monopoly over the PC market is simply because every other service is at best, notably inferior, and at worst, shit https://t.co/sUUkIHvykE

— TheNCSmaster (@TheNCSmaster) January 28, 2026

She further claims that “these excessive commission charges are passed onto consumers by way of increased prices for PC games and in-game content.”

Quite a mouthful, I know, so let me break this down.

Essentially, they are being accused of imposing restrictions which prevented competitors from being able to offer the same content as them, meaning that some game developers were tied only to the Steam platform.

As such, the titles created by these developers were priced at a premium due to their lack of availability elsewhere, reshaping the market in the process.

Consequentially, Shotbolt asserts that “Valve’s conduct has increased the price of games across the entire market.” Because of this, the claim is not limited to just the class of Steam users across the UK but also includes purchasers of games and other content through separate gaming platforms and distribution channels.

The claim has been “approved on an opt-out basis”, meaning that the affected class (virtually every Steam user and PC game) are automatically included in the claim unless they specify otherwise.

Furthermore, everyone in the specified class has been encouraged to sign a petition if they purchased any PC games or add-on content between June 4th, 2018, and June 4th, 2024. Anyone who signs the petition will become eligible for reimbursement and compensation should the case be successful.

What Does This Mean for Football Manager?

Should Shotbolt win the case, and if the circulating rumours of a UK-wide Steam ban come to fruition, British gamers will lose one of the platform's most beloved games in Football Manager.

Though the latest version, Football Manager 26, has come under heavy fire for its futuristic look and wholesale changes from previous editions, fans of the game will be utterly heartbroken if their worst fears are realised.

I don't know a single person who dislikes steam or how it works. It's made gaming accessible and is an amazing product. I've used it for like 20 years and never had a single problem. Steam is only a monopoly because it's better than everything else, not because they are predatory

— Callum (@CallumMacClark) January 28, 2026

The game has been a fixture for gamers since Steam was launched in 2003 and has seen 21 editions since the game's debut under a new name in 2005.

The media has not yet reported on any potential ban for the gaming platform, with this exclusively conjecture across multiple social media platforms. If a ban is indeed put in place, the game will no doubt be available on competing platforms, but the loss of Steam and the friendships forged on it, the in-game progress, and all of the achievements that come with the years of dedication and hard work would be a tragic loss for all Football Manager players.

As a Football Manager player, and more importantly a Steam user myself, I cannot see how Shotbolt wins this case. There is a reason Steam has the largest share in the gaming market, and it is not down to bullying their competitors into submission.

🚨 FOOTBALL MANAGER 26 GRAPHICS ARE INSANE!!! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/m9CW4PIr9I

— FGZ ⚽️🎮 (@FGZNews) September 4, 2025

However, with £900 million on the line, Shotbolt and the UK government are going to give everything they’ve got, and when a case makes it into court, an outcome is never guaranteed. Moreover, Shotbolt has been backed by Milberg London LLP, who previously filed a similar claim against Sony back in 2022. Though the Steam case is yet to be given a court date, Milberg's Sony dispute is set to go on trial in March this year.