PRS sues Valve over music rights in Steam games

PRS for Music is taking legal action against Valve for using music in Steam games without obtaining the necessary license; the case may proceed.

What is at stake

PRS for Music announced that it has initiated legal action against Valve, accusing the company of using music without licensing in games distributed through Steam.

The organization claims that Valve has never obtained a license for the use of the repertoire managed by PRS since the platform's inception.

According to the statement, the lawsuit will proceed unless Valve engages in productive discussions and obtains the necessary licenses to cover the use of PRS's repertoire, both retroactively and in the future. PRS cites high-profile series potentially affected, such as Forza Horizon, FIFA/EA FC, and Grand Theft Auto, published by Microsoft, EA, and Rockstar, respectively, and not by Valve.

Legal context in the UK

The text clarifies that licensing music for games in the UK is a distinct dimension from licensing game distribution. PRS points out that stores like Xbox use a General Entertainment Online Licence for non-broadcasting streaming services, and mentions previous agreements with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for the use of music in games and related content in Europe.

Other challenges involving Valve

This move comes amid a series of litigation involving Valve. In January 2026, a British court authorized a £656 million class-action lawsuit for alleged anti-competitive practices on Steam. Furthermore, Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York, announced she is suing Valve for allegedly promoting gambling to children.

About PRS for Music

PRS became known in 2009 for controversial actions involving music licensing in unusual situations, which generated criticism and apologies.

Credit: Luke Reilly, Senior Editor at IGN Reviews.

Do you think retroactive licenses for music use in games are fair, or should Valve only negotiate licenses for future use? Leave your comment below.

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