Valve

Valve Corporation is an American video game developer and digital distribution company. It is best known for the Steam video game distribution platform and for having developed the Half-Life, Portal, and Counter-Strike franchises. Valve is also the owner of the Dota 2 and Team Fortress 2 esports leagues.

Valve was founded in 1998 by former Microsoft employees Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington. The company's first game, Half-Life, was released in 1998 and was a critical and commercial success. Valve followed up with a number of successful sequels, including Half-Life 2, Portal, and Left 4 Dead.

Valve is also known for its innovative approach to game development and distribution. The company was one of the first to use digital distribution for video games, and it has been a pioneer in the use of online multiplayer gaming. Valve also owns and operates the Steam Workshop, which allows users to create and share mods for Valve games.

Valve is a privately held company and does not disclose its financial information. However, the company is estimated to be worth billions of dollars. Valve is one of the most influential and successful video game companies in the world.