Valve Rejects New York AG's Claims About Violent Video Games

Valve says the comments about video game violence are a "distraction and a mischaracterization" that have been debunked by numerous studies.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 9:19pm

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The New York Attorney General's office has filed a lawsuit against Valve, accusing the video game company of violating gambling laws through the use of loot boxes. In the press release announcing the lawsuit, the AG's office also made comments about Valve's games "glorifying violence and guns" and how this "helps fuel the dangerous epidemic of gun violence". Valve has strongly pushed back against these claims, saying the comments about video game violence are irrelevant to the lawsuit and a "distraction" that have been "mischaracterized" and "heard before".

Why it matters

The debate over whether violent video games contribute to real-world violence has been ongoing for decades, with numerous studies finding no link between the two. Valve's pushback against the New York AG's comments highlights how this is an outdated moral panic that has been thoroughly debunked, and should not be used as a distraction or justification in unrelated legal matters.

The details

The New York Attorney General's lawsuit against Valve focuses on the company's use of loot boxes, which the AG claims "enable gambling" and have "lured" users, including teenagers, to illegally gamble. However, the AG's office also included comments about Valve's games "glorifying violence and guns" and how this "helps fuel the dangerous epidemic of gun violence". Valve strongly rejected these claims, stating that "numerous studies throughout the years have concluded there is no link between media (movies, TV, books, comics, music, and games) and real world violence."

  • The New York Attorney General's lawsuit against Valve was filed on March 11, 2026.

The players

Valve

A major video game developer and the company being sued by the New York Attorney General's office.

New York Attorney General's Office

The state government agency that has filed a lawsuit against Valve, accusing the company of violating gambling laws through the use of loot boxes.

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What they’re saying

“In addition, although this case is about mystery boxes, we feel the need to address comments made by the NYAG about games, real world violence, and children. Those extraneous comments are a distraction and a mischaracterization we've all heard before. Numerous studies throughout the years have concluded there is no link between media (movies, TV, books, comics, music, and games) and real world violence. Indeed, many studies highlight the beneficial impact of games to users.”

— Valve

The takeaway

This case highlights how outdated moral panics about the supposed link between violent video games and real-world violence continue to resurface, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Valve's strong pushback against the New York AG's comments shows how these claims are a distraction from the actual legal issues at hand and should not be used to justify or bolster unrelated lawsuits.