Valve is an entertainment software and technology company founded in 1996 and based in Bellevue, Washington. The companys debut title, Half-Life, has won over 50 Game of the Year Awards and was named "Best PC Game Ever" in the November 1999, October 2001, and April 2005 issues of PC Gamer, the world's best-selling PC games magazine.

The company's portfolio of entertainment properties includes Half-Life®, Counter-Strike™, Day of Defeat®, and Team Fortress®. Valve's catalog of products accounts for over 20 million retail units sold worldwide, and over 80% of the PC online action market.