Private company

Valve Corporation

American video game company

Valve Corporation, also known as Valve Software, is an American video game developer, publisher, hardware, and digital distribution company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. It is the developer of game franchises including Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Portal, Team Fortress, Left 4 Dead and Dota, the software service Steam, and hardware including the Steam Frame, Steam Machine, Steam Deck and Valve Index.2 From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 16, 2026.

Overview

1996Founded1
  • Industryvideo game industry1
  • HeadquartersBellevue1
  • Founded inKirkland1
  • Websitewww.valvesoftware.com
  • Legal formprivately held company1

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The story

Founded by Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington in 1996, in Kirkland.1

Leadership

Who has led Valve Corporation, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Chief executive

  1. Gabe Newell1996–now
200020052010201520202025

Products and brands

  • software
  • video game

Listed on Wikidata.1

Subsidiaries and ownership

Subsidiaries

  • Campo Santo

Also owns

  • Steam

From Wikidata.1

Employees over time

Valve Corporation employees by year1336 in 2021+2% since 2013
01002003004002013: 33033020132016: 3603602016+9%2018: 3503502018−3%2021: 3363362021−4%
  • 20213361
  • 20183501
  • 20163601
  • 20133301

Timeline

  1. 1996Founded Founded in Kirkland1
  2. 1996New chief executive Gabe Newell becomes CEO1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2