Is Microsoft buying Valve? There is currently no evidence to support the rumor about the companies behind Steam and Windows.
16 billion dollars. That’s how much Microsoft is allegedly offering to buy Valve.
The alleged takeover of the Steam manufacturer by Windows owner Microsoft is currently making headlines on social media. There is just one problem: It is a duck.
We trace the history of the false report for you so that you do not inadvertently spread false rumors.
Where the false report about the Microsoft-Valve deal comes from
No sources, no background, just a single tweet with a bold claim: On the online platform X (formerly Twitter) a contribution from Twitch streamer Dior
The user, who says he spent “six years in law school and seven years in finance” and wrote his thesis on “market manipulation in capital markets,” wrote on May 22, 2024 above a picture of Gabe Newell, the president of Valve:
»With approximately 80 billion dollars CCE [Cash and Cash Equivalents, Anm. d. Red.] Microsoft is preparing a $16 billion offer for Valve. No stocks, just cash.”
Link to Twitter content
Dior did not name any sources
1:06:57
Continuing the perfect game can be so easy – except for Valve
Why the takeover rumors are most likely nonsense
It wasn’t long before commentators began to doubt the veracity of Dior’s post. Finally, the man known for his insider knowledge and industry knowledge came forward Journalist Tom Warren speaks and made disparaging comments about the fact that the blue tick at
Link to Twitter content
There are now several explanatory community notes under Dior’s original post that put what was written into context. Among other things, the continuous revenue that Valve generates with its download platform Steam makes the takeover at the rumored price extremely unlikely.
As a reminder: Most recently, Activision Blizzard switched to Microsoft, at a price of $68.7 billion. The last time there was talk of a Valve takeover by the Windows group was in 2023.
As part of the Activision deal, internal emails to the publicin which Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer speculated about buying Valve or Nintendo in 2020. However, no official offers were ever forwarded to the respective companies.
Conclusion: Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.
