Steam Game Removes Crates And Keys Preemptively, Citing "Shift In Legislation"

Loot boxes and gambling facsimiles have undergone heightened scrutiny in the game industry this last year. That heat is slowly creeping under the heels of certain releases, such as Primal Carnage: Extinction, which has chosen to remove their crates and keys system, citing “a shift in legislation.” In a recent Steam post, the company behind the dinosaur shooter hybrid stated:

 

“[sic] In order to remain compliant with various country's legislation and ensure that Primal Carnage Extinction remains available in all countries, we have decided to retire Crates and Keys by July 31.

We hope this change ensures continuing compliance with international legislation and allows Primal Carnage Extinction to be enjoyed in every region.”

 

 

After the given time period, the targeted items will no longer be a part of the Steam market ecosystem, meaning goods can’t be traded or sold for profit. Any remaining items will stay the property of the users, who can choose to convert their inventory through an in-game crafting system.

Primal Carnage: Extinction, a pretty fun game where a team of dinosaurs go head-to-head against a group of humans, invoked its community to provide players with skins. Selling crates and keys could plausibly offer these artists with a percentage of sales for their efforts, as a sort of workaround to an otherwise unpopular concept of paid mods.

As the Steam game never mentions having their hands forced, this seems to be one of the first cases where a company decides to bail on loot boxes proactively, before the fires grow too hot. Previously, games like Dota 2 and Counter-strike: Global Offensive saw their huge economy of tradable items restricted, due to gambling laws in the Netherlands. Other titles, like Rocket League and FIFA 18, were also subjected to government probing for their gambling mechanisms.

Meanwhile, games like Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, which also sells crates and keys, have diverted to another rising monetization trend: premium passes. These passes, popularized by Fortnite’s gigantically successful battle royale, put a progression system behind a pay wall, rewarding users who purchase their tickets with in-game items. Games will always find a way to squeeze consumers for more cash, unfortunately.

What do you make of Primal Carnage: Extinction’s decision to remove their ties to gambling? Let us know in the comment section.

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed (@Daavpuke)