Valve Sued Over Music Rights in Video Games Sold on Steam
Music is an important part of video games, whether it plays during fights, cutscenes, or while exploring the game world. However, using music in games also involves licensing rules, especially when those games are sold through large digital stores like Steam.
Because of this, the British music rights organization The Performing Right Society (PRS) for Music has announced legal action against Valve Corporation. The group claims that music used in video games sold on Steam has been distributed without the proper license.
PRS for Music Sues Valve Over Music Rights in Steam Games
This complaint does not concern games developed by Valve itself, but rather all games available on the Steam platform.
PRS stated that Valve has “never obtained a licence for its use of the rights managed by PRS on behalf of its members, comprising songwriters, composers, and music publishers.”
The organization also warned that the legal dispute will continue unless Valve agrees to resolve the issue.
PRS explained: “The litigation will progress unless Valve Corporation engages positively with discussions and takes the necessary license to cover the use of PRS repertoire, both retrospectively and moving forwards.”
The case may seem unusual because many games on Steam are not created or published by Valve. Titles mentioned by PRS include well-known series such as Forza Horizon, FIFA / EA Sports FC, and Grand Theft Auto, which are published by companies like Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Rockstar Games.
However, the legal situation in the United Kingdom is complex. The license required to include music in a video game is separate from the license needed when that game is downloaded or streamed by users.
According to PRS documents, some digital stores use a “General Entertainment Online Licence,” the same type of license used by streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Netflix.
PRS also noted that it has previously reached agreements with companies such as Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for the use of protected music in games and related downloadable content in Europe.
Valve has recently faced other legal challenges as well. In January 2026, a UK court allowed a £656 million class action lawsuit against the company over alleged anti-competitive practices related to Steam.
In other news, over 18,000 games were released on Steam in 2025, but nearly half of them received fewer than 10 player reviews, showing just how hard it has become for new titles to gain visibility.
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