In-game loot boxes have slowly been taking over most of today’s video games, bringing a ‘gambling’ aspect that not all are happy with.
Counter-Strike is a game that has actually had this feature built in for seemingly an age but in recent years, the case opening scene has gone ballistic, with players cracking a crazy amount every month.
In March 2025, over 30 million cases in Counter-Strike 2 have been opened, and with each of these cases requiring at least a $2.49 spend just for the key, Valve is raking it in.
In terms of what kind of cut Valve is getting, the company receives the full $2.49 from keys bought, as well as a 15% slice of the cases bought on the Steam marketplace.
This model is clearly incredibly lucrative with Valve pulling in more than $74 million just from March’s keys, and that doesn’t even include revenue from marketplace fees or the cut they take from skins resold by players.
The actual number is likely way over $100 million once you factor in trading volume and marketplace activity, which continues to thrive around rare and high-value skins.
What’s particularly staggering is the sheer popularity of this system, despite the fact that opening cases is essentially a digital spin of the roulette wheel.
Most walk away with common items worth far less than the price of the key, but the small chance of landing a rare knife or high-tier skin keeps them coming back.
It’s a psychological loop that closely mirrors traditional gambling behavior, which is where the criticism comes in.
Concerns around the addictive nature of loot boxes and case openings aren’t new, but with numbers like these, they’re becoming harder to ignore.
Critics argue that the system preys on younger players who might not fully grasp the low odds or the real-world money being spent.
This is especially true when you take a look at the likes of EA FC which has an age rating of just 3+, meaning a child could literally walk into a store and purchase it off the shelf, then ‘gamble’ to pack digital players.
Counter-Strike 2 does have a Mature 17+ rating at least but the argument remains the same.
Some countries, like Belgium, the Netherlands, and even Germany have already taken steps to ban or restrict loot boxes entirely, classifying them as a form of gambling.
So far, Valve has sidestepped major regulatory pushback in the U.S. and other large markets, but pressure is mounting.
Discussions around transparency and consumer protection are back in the spotlight, especially as more games adopt similar monetization methods.
Unlike other titles, however, Counter-Strike 2 has a robust, player-driven economy behind it and that’s partly why Valve has been able to avoid stricter scrutiny, since players can technically profit from what they pull.
Still, as digital marketplaces become more entwined with real money and high-value virtual items continue to sell for tens of thousands of dollars, the line between entertainment and exploitation is so very fine.
For now, the CS2 case openings shows no signs of slowing down with trends only going upward.
With millions of dollars flowing in monthly for Valve, it’s clear that loot boxes are here to stay unless a full crackdown comes into effect.
