Epic Games CEO criticises Steam Deck OLED price with jab at Valve CEO Gabe Newell

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney mocked Valve’s Steam Deck OLED price increase in social media post

Epic Games chief executive Tim Sweeney has taken aim at Valve following the recent Steam Deck OLED price increase, using a sarcastic social media post to criticise the company and its co-founder, Gabe Newell.

Valve announced on May 27 that the 1TB Steam Deck OLED would rise in price from $649 to $949.

The company said the increase was due to ongoing shortages affecting memory and storage components, which had already been flagged in previous supply chain updates.

Reacting to the announcement, Sweeney posted on X.

Everyone’s being too harsh here. There has been a significant rise in the cost of components that Steam customer spending ultimately funds, and economic trends have created severe disruptions in the component parts supply chain for megayachts. pic.twitter.com/w8iHVdSatK

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 28, 2026

The comment was widely interpreted as a jab at Newell, who is known for his interest in yachts, and quickly attracted attention across the gaming community.

You laid off 1000 people this year. You're not the guy to shit on Gabe. pic.twitter.com/YlKxxvrGQo

— RebelEagle (@RebelEagleX) May 28, 2026

Sweeney’s comments come months after Epic Games laid off more than 1,000 employees. The company also increased V-Bucks prices following what Sweeney described as financial pressures linked to declining Fortnite engagement.

For now, Valve remains focused on explaining the Steam Deck OLED price increase as a response to component shortages.