“Valve already stacked the odds against them”: lawsuits claims loot boxes rigged players from the start

Valve is currently involved in two high-profile lawsuits: one filed by the New York Attorney General in February 2026, and another, a federal class-action lawsuit, filed by the Washington law firm Hagens Berman. The loot boxes in question are Counter-Strike 2 cases, Dota 2 Treasures, or Supply Crates in Team Fortress 2.

In February, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Valve, claiming that the company had created a “gambling enterprise” that targets underage gamers and individuals with poor judgment.

The suit alleges that, under US law, Valve’s loot boxes constitute “quintessential gambling” because CS2 cases incentivize players to spend money, either by randomly opening a case through gameplay or by subsequently purchasing keys. In addition, third-party websites often sell out-of-rotation cases or loot boxes at exorbitant prices.

The suit further states that the case unboxing animations, with their near-miss visuals, are psychologically designed to mimic the feeling of playing slot machines. The desired resolution, however, might seem drastic to some, given that the CS2 market cap (by volume) is estimated at over $8 billion: The New York Attorney General seeks to completely ban loot boxes in the state, obtain restitution for consumers, and impose a fine equal to three times Valve’s alleged “illegal” gains.

However, that is far from the end of the story, as another lawsuit, now a national consumer class action, was filed by Hagens Berman on 9 March 2026.

The law firm claims that Valve is “knowingly operating unlawful gambling through its loot box system.” The firm’s founder and 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 class-action lawsuit highlights several key Valve titles, including Counter-Strike 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2.

Similar to the New York state lawsuit, a subsection of the Washington class-action suit alleges that Valve developed a “deliberate and carefully engineered revenue model” and that “Valve knew children were on the other end of these transactions.”

Berman further stated, “Rather than protect young players through age verification or parental consent mechanisms, we believe Valve rigged the game to extract more money from them.”

For now, Valve has not publicly commented on the gambling allegations or the pending litigation despite the ramifications if the lawsuit prevails.

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