Epic Games chief Tim Sweeney claims ‘Valve has held gaming back for years’
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has intensified criticism of Valve’s Steam platform, claiming it “has held gaming back for years” through Steamworks lock-in that restricts developer choice. The comments were prompted by Kiaran Ritchie, a former Epic Games animation programmer, who highlighted Steam’s 30% revenue cut and argued that a competitive distribution alternative could be built relatively quickly using modern infrastructure like Cloudflare.
Ritchie framed the issue as a developer revenue problem, suggesting that if studios could retain more of their earnings through an alternative platform, “we’d have a greater selection of better games.” However, both acknowledge the significant challenge: Steam’s network effects and entrenched user libraries create powerful barriers to competition. The combination of Steam’s massive install base and players’ attachment to their existing game libraries makes competing platforms extremely difficult to establish, despite the technical feasibility of building one.
This represents the latest salvo in ongoing tensions between Epic Games and Valve over digital distribution models. The critique centers on fundamental questions about platform economics and developer autonomy in PC gaming, with Sweeney and allies arguing that Steam’s market position limits innovation and developer profitability.