Valve is pushing back against the New York Attorney General's lawsuit over its loot box system, asserting that player rights to transfer in-game items must be preserved. The company expressed concerns that proposed regulations requiring additional player information to verify age and location would be overly invasive for all Steam users, likening it to a violation of privacy.
Valve stated it has been educating the NYAG's office on loot boxes since 2023. While open to respecting state laws that explicitly ban randomized loot boxes, Valve argues the current lawsuit exceeds New York's legal boundaries. The company believes settling would harm users and developers, hindering game design innovation.
Separately, a class-action lawsuit filed in Washington state accuses Valve of extracting money from consumers, including children, through deceptive, casino-style psychological tactics. This suit highlights alleged use of "psychological triggers" like unpredictable rewards and "chasing losses" to create an addictive gambling loop.