Less than a year after successfully concluding the deal to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, a rumor is now circulating that Microsoft is eyeing Valve, the operator of Steam, with a $16 billion offer.
Rumor Says Microsoft Plans to Buy Valve for $16 Billion
This rumor, which has already reached 5.8 million users on X, was started by a user with the handle vDiorCS. The person behind the rumor is a lawyer actively engaged with video games like Counter-Strike and the capital markets.
Despite the sensational nature of this rumor, the user did not provide any sources for the information, leading many online to argue why such a claim is implausible.
As of this writing, the X post has been flagged by X's fact-checking tool, Community Notes, as misleading. According to the note, aside from a leaked 2020 email, there has not been any official confirmation that Microsoft is moving to buy Valve's video game digital distribution service.
There are several apparent reasons to dismiss this rumor:
Microsoft Went Through Hell to Close Activision Blizzard Deal
Microsoft successfully completed the deal to purchase gaming publisher Activision Blizzard in October 2023, but it took almost two grueling years to finalize the largest video game buyout in history.
The deal faced significant challenges from US and UK antitrust regulators, who feared that such an acquisition would make massive titles like Call of Duty exclusive to Microsoft's Xbox platform.
Acquiring Steam, a rival game store that owns major franchises such as Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Portal, Day of Defeat, Team Fortress, Left 4 Dead, and Dota, seems almost incomprehensible given the regulatory scrutiny Microsoft has already faced.
Rumors are circulating that Microsoft plans to acquire Valve for $16 billion, but these claims lack credible sources and face skepticism due to Valve's successful independence and Microsoft's recent antitrust challenges with its Activision Blizzard acquisitionSteam
Valve Don't Need This
Valve, valued at $6.9 billion as of March 2024, is thriving independently, with around 30,000 games available on Steam and a growing user base of millions. Not to mention that the company is also making a name in the handheld gaming market with the success of the Steam Deck.
Moreover, Valve is not a publicly traded company and has no shareholders to appease other than CEO and co-founder Gabe Newell, who left Microsoft after working there for 13 years.
Valve does not need this deal. Microsoft has faced enough antitrust allegations to understand that governments and users alike would not welcome this acquisition.
Possible Clickbait
Another reason this rumor is likely false is the potential for it to be mere engagement bait.
With X owner Elon Musk monetizing engagement on the platform by giving top verified users a share of ad revenue, many users are incentivized to generate clout through fake news and clickbait.
In conclusion, take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt.
