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Valve is once again facing legal action over loot boxes, this time in Washington state. The case follows a February lawsuit filed by New York attorney general Letitia James, who described the company’s loot boxes as “quintessential gambling.”
On Monday, law firm Hagens Berman lodged a class‑action complaint accusing Valve of “knowingly operating unlawful gambling through its loot box system.” In a statement, managing partner Steve Berman said, “Consumers played these games for entertainment, unaware that Valve had allegedly already stacked the odds against them. We intend to hold Valve accountable and put money back in the pockets of consumers.”
The lawsuit points directly to titles such as Counter‑Strike 2, Counter‑Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2, claiming Valve profited from loot boxes that function as illegal gambling mechanisms.
“Valve knew children were on the other end of these transactions”
Loot boxes have become a familiar feature across many games, both paid and free‑to‑play. Players often spend real money to unlock boxes filled with random items, ranging from common skins to rare cosmetics that can fetch high prices on third‑party marketplaces.
In Counter‑Strike 2, for example, loot boxes are handed out but require keys to open, and last fall an update that made certain rare items easier to obtain sent the in‑game economy into frenzy.
The Washington lawsuit argues that Valve deliberately designed this system to mirror the casino experience, complete with slot machine‑style visuals and psychological triggers that encourage repeated spending.
According to the complaint, the loot box model was “a deliberate, carefully engineered revenue model,” one that allowed Valve to profit twice, first from the sale of keys and then from its cut of resales on the Steam Community Market.
Like the earlier case in New York, the new filing stresses the impact on younger players. “Valve knew children were on the other end of these transactions,” said Steve Berman of Hagens Berman. “Rather than protect young players through age verification or a parental consent mechanism, we believe they rigged the game to extract more money from them.”
Valve has yet to respond publicly to either lawsuit.
Source: Polygon
