According to a post shared by Pirat_Nation on X, Ritchie says developers aren't really paying Valve for storefront services. They're paying for access to Steam's huge player base.

He believes most Steam users have no reason to leave, even if a rival store offers a better experience. Steam is now so dominant, he says, that developers can't afford to skip it, which leaves them accepting the 30% cut.

His summary of Valve's position: “They played capitalism so well they broke it.”

The comments are Ritchie's opinion, relayed through a social post, and no sales or market-share figures accompany them.