With a straight face, Valve insists Counter-Strike 2 cases are fine and "people enjoy surprises" in move to dismiss New York lawsuit

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It's no secret that Counter-Strike 2 has been under fire recently – and, well, forever – for its cases and skins… so much so that it's resulted in actual legal action against Valve.

In case you've been out of the loop, the state of New York slapped the Steam company with a lawsuit in February, demanding "full restitution" for players and saying "Valve's loot boxes pose the same dangers as casino gambling, especially for children."

It's certainly not a new position – Valve has faced the wrath of angry parents and players alike for its Counter-Strike 2 cases, because, well, the way that they work mimics real-life gambling.

Put simply, you buy keys to unlock cases in hopes of getting a rare skin – a skin that could be worth hundreds or even thousands itself – but there's no guarantee you'll get anything good. You might end up with a worthless set of gloves or a gun you've already snagged before.

The chance of getting some $1,000 knife skin is next to none, or at least it feels that way. All of this, coupled with the fact that kids are involved as players, is what prompted the lawsuit.

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Valve has officially responded with a motion to dismiss in defense of its $6 billion market of Counter-Strike 2 skins now, however – and boy, is it something. As per the Courthouse News Service, Valve sees its potential punishment as a slippery slope.

If New York considers its cases gambling, the same could then be said for real-life collectibles like baseball cards, Labubu figures (sigh), and more… or so the company argues, anyway.

"Each of those transactions – and many more like them – involves a purchase of randomized items that can be resold for cash," as Valve writes. "No court has allowed the executive branch to criminalize overnight such 'a breathtaking amount of commonplace' conduct not specifically proscribed by a statute. This court should not be the first."

Valve doubles down on its argument, saying, "People enjoy surprises." Eh… yeah.

"Part of the appeal of many popular collectibles, from baseball cards to cereal boxes, is the possibility of opening a sealed package and being surprised with a rare item… No legislature or court has ever deemed that act illegal gambling."

CS2 skins, according to Valve, "are designed for entertainment and have subjective and aesthetic value to users." Banning them could "inject uncertainty into hundreds of daily commercial transactions."

The company continues with its comparisons. "Can parents purchase packs of baseball cards for their children? Can families go to Chuck E. Cheese to play games of chance and exchange winning tickets for prizes? Can a child reach into a cereal box and grab a surprise toy?"

These would all fall under the same definition of "gambling" as cases, Valve believes, and the result would just be "nonsensical." Plus, "No other state has ever criminalized mystery boxes."

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That's why "Valve had no reason to think its conduct was illegal," apparently. Honestly, I'm not sure what side to take here myself – but I look forward to seeing what happens next.

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Anna KoselkeStaff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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