--- title: "Another Epic vs. Valve Round: Sweeney Accuses Steam of Creating a 'Walled Garden'" description: "Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has renewed his criticism of Valve, accusing the company of creating a Steamworks 'walled garden'. The statement drew a Community Note response citing Steam documentation." date: 2026-10-28T12:40:58.066Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/epic-vs-valve-sweeney-steamworks-walled-garden tags: [epic-games, valve, steam, tim-sweeney, steamworks, gaming-industry] author: "Roman V." publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Another Epic vs. Valve Round: Sweeney Accuses Steam of Creating a 'Walled Garden' ![Caricature boxing match between Epic Games and Valve in a gaming arena](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/28/epic-protiv-valve-svinnii-ogorozhennyj-sad-steamworks/epic-protiv-valve-svinnii-ogorozhennyj-sad-steamworks-1.webp) ## Key Points - Tim Sweeney accused Valve of locking developers inside a Steamworks 'walled garden' and hindering cross-platform player communication. - The spark was a statement by former Epic Games lead animation programmer Kiaran Ritchie regarding the 30% commission and trapping developers on Steam. - Sweeney's post received a Community Note linking to Steamworks documentation: networking tools like Steam Datagram Relay are available on third-party platforms if the game releases on Steam. Amidst years of public confrontation between the two major digital distribution giants, Epic Games head Tim Sweeney has once again sharply criticized Valve and its Steam platform. The new round of discussion, dubbed a 'fresh round' in trade media, began with social media posts and quickly escalated into an exchange of statements regarding ecosystem openness and developer commissions. ### The Spark on Social Media The catalyst for this new round was a post by Kiaran Ritchie, a former lead animation programmer at Epic Games. Addressing his audience, he harshly criticized the 30% commission rate, calling the Steam social network the sole reason keeping developers locked inside the platform. This statement served as the trigger that prompted Sweeney to join in. ### The 'Walled Garden' of Steamworks Entering the discussion, the Epic Games chief stated that for years Valve has hindered the gaming industry's development by trapping creators within the 'walled garden' of Steamworks social features. According to him, this isolation prevents seamless communication between players and users on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch consoles, as well as mobile devices and alternative PC storefronts. ### Community Response: Steamworks Documentation Sweeney's post was promptly hit with a Community Note linking to official Steamworks documentation. It points out that key Valve networking tools, including the Steam Datagram Relay protocol, can be freely used on third-party platforms provided the game is also released on Steam. This argument challenges the thesis of complete ecosystem isolation upon which the Epic CEO builds his critique. ### Context and Significance for Developers Thus, this new round of confrontation boils down to a fundamental question: is Steam an open infrastructure or a closed ecosystem? On one hand, Epic points to barriers hindering cross-platform player communication; on the other hand, Valve's documentation demonstrates mechanisms enabling networking tools to operate outside the platform itself. For studios, this dispute is practically significant, as decisions regarding tying social features to a specific platform directly impact their audience and reach. ## Accounts differ ### The degree of isolation in the Steam ecosystem and the availability of its networking tools outside the platform - **Tim Sweeney (Epic Games):** Valve traps project creators in a Steamworks 'walled garden', hindering full communication between players and users of other platforms ([goha.ru](https://www.goha.ru/ocherednoj-raund-protivostoyaniya-glava-epic-games-obvinil-gejba-v-sozdanii-ogorozhennogo-sada-dlya-pk-igrokov-dZ1eoZ)) - **Steamworks Documentation (cited in Community Note):** Key Valve networking tools, including the Steam Datagram Relay protocol, can be freely used on third-party platforms provided the game is released on Steam ([goha.ru](https://www.goha.ru/ocherednoj-raund-protivostoyaniya-glava-epic-games-obvinil-gejba-v-sozdanii-ogorozhennogo-sada-dlya-pk-igrokov-dZ1eoZ)) *Where they agree:* Both sides acknowledge that Steam possesses social and networking tools (Steamworks) utilized by developers ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Очередной раунд противостояния: глава Epic Games обвинил Гейба в создании «огороженного сада» для ПК-игроков](https://www.goha.ru/ocherednoj-raund-protivostoyaniya-glava-epic-games-obvinil-gejba-v-sozdanii-ogorozhennogo-sada-dlya-pk-igrokov-dZ1eoZ) - The source confirms Sweeney's statements, Ritchie's trigger regarding the 30% commission, and the Community Note referencing Steamworks documentation (Steam Datagram Relay). ## FAQ ### Who started this new round of criticism against Valve? The new round began with a post by former Epic Games lead animation programmer Kiaran Ritchie, after which Epic Games head Tim Sweeney joined the discussion. ### What is the core of Sweeney's accusations against Steam? Sweeney claims Valve locks developers inside a Steamworks 'walled garden', preventing players from communicating with users on consoles, mobile devices, and alternative PC stores. ### How did the community respond to Sweeney's statement? The post received a Community Note citing Steamworks documentation: key networking tools, including Steam Datagram Relay, can be used on third-party platforms provided the game is released on Steam.