Overview
- New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Valve in February 2026, alleging Counter‑Strike 2 Cases operate like unregulated gambling that harms underage players and seeking treble damages plus a state sales ban.
- Valve filed a motion to dismiss the case on May 18, asking the court to throw it out with prejudice and saying the company had no reason to believe the feature was illegal.
- In its 42‑page filing, Valve described Cases as entertainment collectibles comparable to baseball card packs and blind‑box toys and argued players always receive a skin so no money is 'staked or risked' under the state law cited.
- The dispute turns on whether buying keys to open randomized Cases whose skins can be resold for real cash legally counts as gambling under New York law, a legal question with implications for secondary markets.
- Valve is also defending separate legal challenges in the U.K., and both sides say a court ruling could create wider uncertainty for other industries that use surprise or randomized sales models.