Attorney General Sues Valve Over Loot Boxes

New York Attorney General Letitia James has sued Valve, alleging loot boxes in Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2, and Dota 2 function as gambling and have harmed younger players; the filing seeks to stop those features and recover alleged ill-gotten gains.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Valve Corporation. The complaint alleges that loot boxes in several Valve-owned games operate like gambling and have caused harm to younger players. The games named in the suit include Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2, and Dota 2. The filing seeks to stop the challenged features and to disgorge alleged profits and obtain fines. Key facts: - The Attorney General's office says an investigation found loot boxes entice users to pay for a chance at rare virtual items and compares the opening animation to slot machines. - The lawsuit specifically names Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2, and Dota 2 and cites reporting that the market for Counter-Strike skins surpassed $4.3 billion and that a high-value skin was reportedly sold for more than $1 million in 2024. - The complaint notes that Steam's Community Market and third-party marketplaces allow items to be sold or liquidated, and it reports many support requests to Valve about hacked accounts or tricked transfers. - The filing asks courts to permanently stop the features at issue, disgorge profits, and impose fines under New York law. Summary: The filing formally accuses Valve of operating gambling-like loot box systems and pursues remedies including disgorgement and fines. Undetermined at this time.