The European Commission has Valve fined over €1.6 million (around $1.9 million) for geo-blocking steam games in the EU. Five other game publishers also joined Valve in being fined, with those publishers being Focus Home, ZeniMax, Koch Media, Capcom, and finally Bandai Namco.

The European Commission says the geo-blocking was to prevent games from being activated outside Czechia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Essentially the goal of the geo-blocking was to stop gamers living in EU countries with higher average incomes from being able to buy in EU states where the game was cheaper therefor saving money. The geo-blocking was also said to be done from 2010-2015.

Valve fined

Of the five publishers being fined two actually were fined as much if not more than Valve. Focus Home probably most known for Farming Simulator and Trackmania was fined almost €2.9 million (around $ 3.5 million). While ZeniMax the holding company for Bethesda was fined over €1.6 million (around $2 million). It was said that due to the five publishers cooperating with European Commission’s investigation their fines were reduced by anywhere from 10 to 15 percent.

While Valve disputes it the European Commission stated that Valve “chose not to cooperate” which lead to Valve being fined over €1.6 million (around $1.9 million). Let’s be honest Valve fined isn’t something we haven’t seen before, nor do I think Valve will be bothered too much by it.

In Other News

Two new PUBG games were revealed in an interview with Krafton CEO Kim Chang-Han. Plus the Resident Evil showcase is just one day away!

By Zach Yagle

Zach, a 26-year-old living in Denver, Colorado, shares a deep passion for video games that has been a constant source of joy and inspiration throughout his life. Since his childhood, Zach has immersed himself in the world of gaming, exploring a wide range of titles across various platforms.

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