Valve ditches Dutch marketplace and item trading to avoid loot box legal quandry

Steam users in the Netherlands are currently unable to use the marketplace or trade items after the Dutch government stated their intention to prosecute Steam’s owners, Valve, if they didn’t alter their system by June 20th.

This has mostly hit players of the games Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2.

This comes as a result of a study in the Netherlands which has stated: "“Loot boxes contravene the law if the in-game goods from the loot boxes are transferable. Loot boxes do not contravene the law if the in-game goods from the loot boxes are not transferable."

The answer, it appears, is to make the stop the transferal of items for the time being, stopping players from being able to cash out while still letting them pay Valve for loot boxes in the meantime.

In their statement, Valve apologise for the inconvenience and state that they’re hoping to come up with a more elegant solution after discussion with the Dutch government.

It’s a somewhat cynical solution. Players are still easily able to spend real currency on loot boxes for a random chance at a cosmetic. The only difference is that now players will be unable to sell on their loot if they get something valuable. For Dutch players looking to get lucky with a loot box in one of their favourite games, it seems the only way to win now is not to play.