Photo Credit: Tim Eulitz
Valve Corporation has for decades been operating Steam without the required UK public performance license – at least according to a new lawsuit from PRS for Music.
PRS formally announced the complaint, technically filed closer to March’s beginning, today. As some know, Bellevue, Washington-headquartered Valve is the company behind (among other things) Steam, the largest digital distribution platform, in both users and titles, for PC video games.
Of course, a portion of these games feature protected music – a fact that allegedly compels Valve to obtain a PRS license for “communicating these [PRS member] works to the public.” And while it probably doesn’t need saying in light of the action, the gaming giant has allegedly failed to do so.
The way the plaintiff tells the story, this alleged licensing failure isn’t the result of a lapsed agreement; 30-year-old “Valve has never obtained a” PRS license for 23-year-old Steam, per the filing party.
(According to its website and prior announcements, PRS has digital-storefront licensing pacts in place with Sony Interactive Entertainment as well as Microsoft Gaming.)
That raises an interesting question: Why litigate now? Though PRS didn’t identify the precise reason(s) for the suit’s timing, it did point to purported efforts across “many years” to close an agreement despite the alleged absence of “appropriate engagement from Valve.”
PRS further acknowledged the ongoing £656 million (currently $881 million) lawsuit, given the go-ahead earlier in 2026, centering on Steam’s allegedly restrictive publisher terms and the resulting UK consumer harm thereof. Also worth bearing in mind is that Steam reportedly kicked off 2026 by hitting a record 42 million concurrent users.
DMN reached out to Valve for comment but didn’t immediately receive a response; PRS for Music chief commercial officer Dan Gopal, for his part, described legal proceedings as “not a step we take lightly.”
“Our members create music that enhances experiences and PRS exists to protect the value of their work with integrity, transparency, and fairness,” said the five-year PRS vet Gopal. “Legal proceedings are not a step we take lightly, but when a business’s actions undermine those principles, we have a duty to act.
“Great video games rely on great soundtracks, and the songwriters and creators behind them deserve to have their contribution recognised and fairly valued,” he concluded.
