The French version of CS: GO now has an X-ray feature that allows users to scan loot boxes and see their contents before making a purchase. You would think Valve is making the lootbox mechanic less exploitative, but not it’s not quite as straightforward.
The mechanic works like this:
- all loot boxes in CS: GO (cases or capsules) must go through the so-called “X-ray scanner” before purchase;
- the player selects and scans a loot box to see what’s inside;
- if the player buys a loot box, then they can scan the next one;
- if, however, the player does not buy the loot box, it will simply remain in the “X-ray scanner,” and the next one cannot be scanned.
This means that Valve has not made any fundamental changes to the loot box mechanic. The player still cannot choose a container with interesting loot. The only difference is that the contents of the box are visible before purchase.
Valve introduced this feature with the latest update to CS: GO. The new feature is only limited to France. Which is strange, by the way, as it would have made more sense in, for example, the Belgian version of the game, since Belgium is pretty fierce towards loot boxes, while the French authorities are more relaxed about the mechanic.
However, according to PC Games Insider, Valve can simply be testing the new feature in France. Or it’s just proactively anticipating possible changes in the local legislation.
According to the Valve blog, “In France containers can no longer be purchased from Steam Community Market, but can still be sold.”