It’s not a monopoly, multiple PC stores exist. They just suck or are worse options compared to steam. Steam has the best pro-consumer things, sales, good return policy, not resource heavy. The closest to them is GoG, EGS tried more monopolistic tactics with their exclusives BS
72% of devs believe Steam has a monopoly on PC games:
The independent study, conducted by Atomik Research, surveyed 306 industry executives across the UK and USA between May 18 and 22, 2025.
>75% of respondents were senior managers or C-suite level, with 77% from studios with more than 50 employees.
>The study found that for most studios, Steam accounts for over 75% of revenue.