Gamers have filed a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft over a possible anti-competitive agreement with Valve

Two gamers have filed a lawsuit against Microsoft in Washington state, accusing the company of collaborating with Valve to reduce competition in the PC gaming market. This was reported by the Aftermath portal.

The plaintiffs allege that Microsoft receives benefits from its market conduct regarding Valve—namely, a lack of sufficient competition—which allows it to keep prices for PC games at a higher level. As indirect evidence, they cite materials from another proceeding involving Valve, which discusses the company’s possible requirement that publishers not offer prices significantly lower than those on Steam in other stores.

Previously, a group of U.S. consumers filed a lawsuit against Valve for conducting illegal gambling through the loot box system, including among underage users. The goal is to have such mechanics removed from the company’s games.

Photo — Microsoft.