History Main / LootBoxes

In video games, a "loot box" (often rebranded by publishers as [[InsistentTerminology "surprise mechanics"]] or other euphemisms) is a container with [[RandomDrops randomized]], possibly [[RareRandomDrop rare loot]]. While some are actual boxes within the game world which the PlayerCharacter picks up, they tend to be [[GameplayAndStorySegregation a bit more disconnected]] -- they're often acquired from the game's menu system outside of gameplay (a process that can include {{Microtransactions}}), and their "contents" aren't limited to physical items but can include insubstantials like new classes or skins.

The first clear examples of this mechanic are the Chinese ''ZT Online'' (2007) and Canadian ''FIFA 09'' (2008). In East Asia it would soon come to dominate the [[MobilePhoneGame mobile]] and [[BrowserGame browser]] gaming markets, where it's known as "gacha" after [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gashapon the toy capsule machines]][[note]]incidentally, "gacha" is also Mexican Spanish for "awful"; Mexican gamers often refer to abusive gacha games, or unfruitful gacha runs, as a "gacha muy gacha" (literally a "very bad gacha")[[/note]]. The term "lootboxes" [[TropeNamer was coined]] by ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' in 2016.

* Storage unit auctions. You pay for the unopened contents of an storage unit who's renter hasn't paid in a while. You might get worthless junk or you might get something worth millions.

* ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' has the rare non-paid example in the form of the bonuses you get rewarded with in Salmon Run, which are obtained every 100 points. They're color-coded, too; yellow gives coins, another color gives ability chunks, another two colors give tickets for Crusty Sean's food, pink gives random Grizzco equipment items (which are three-star equipment items by default). Occasionally, you get a super capsule with better stuff of the given color; the "superbonus" capsules are always super capsules of one specific type.

Loot boxes serve as a point of contention due to ''[[SturgeonsLaw many]]'' [[AllegedlyFreeGame allegedly free games]] which have hidden real and tangible ways of BribingYourWayToVictory behind this [[GameplayRandomization randomized method of acquisition]]. It also crept into paid games, with ''Videogame/TeamFortress2'' and ''Videogame/CounterStrike: Global Offensive'' adding skin cases and the like.[[note]]though ''[=TF2=]'' would transition to free-to-play a few months later, which ''Global Offensive'' would go Free to Play ''six years later''[[/note]] Eventually governments would start investigating whether they should be regulated as ''gambling'' -- Japan has banned [[DismantledMacGuffin one particularly addictive form]] of the mechanic since 2012, and a 2016 Chinese ruling banned paid lootboxes completely, though both laws were filled with loopholes (publishers like Blizzard simply switched to [[LoopholeAbuse selling worthless items that included lootboxes as "free gifts"]]). The widespread backlash against ''Videogame/StarWarsBattlefrontII2017'' also lead to many countries in the Western hemisphere taking greater notice, with Belgium, the Netherlands and the Isle of Man implementing restrictions soon after, and the United Kingdom strongly advising precautionary measures be placed onto games with Lootboxes.

* ''Videogame/MegaManBattleNetwork'': The Chip Trader machine works like a gacha, with a twist: you have to insert 3 (or 10 for the better version of the trader) [[FightLikeACardPlayer Battle Chips]] into it, and then the trader will give you one random Battle Chip, usually of the (relatively) higher quality. The 10-Chip Trader predictably gives better chips than the 3-chip one. The Traders' output pay little heed to the input, so it's possible to dump in a fair amount of low-level chips and get something rare. Then there's the Bug Frag Chip Trader, which requires you to insert 10 [[GlobalCurrencyException Bug Frags]] instead; they give even better chips than any normal Chip Trader, but Bug Frags are quite harder to farm than Battle Chips.
* ''Videogame/MassEffect3'' uses lootboxes for its multiplayer. You start out with just the basic human characters for each class and basic weaponry. Lootboxes can be purchased using either the in-game currency earned for completing matches or with real-world money and unlock new equipment and characters. As the game was reasonably generous with how quickly you earned in-game credits, there wasn't considered much need to actually spend real money buying them. There were also special weekly objectives that could be completed for additional lootboxes that contained special weapons that could only be gained in them.
* ''Videogame/MassEffectAndromeda'' uses the same system as ''Mass Effect 3''.

[[YMMV/HomePage Your Mileage May Vary]] on whether lootboxes are a detriment: While a lot of [[AllegedlyFreeGame allegedly free games]] use them as a PaperThinDisguise to hide that they allow BribingYourWayToVictory, some (mostly [[MobilePhoneGame mobile]]) games allow them to be earned freely, some have the lootboxes only contain {{Cosmetic Award}}s, some allow the purchase of items contained inside them through other means, some have the lootbox acquisition be parallel to just playing the game and not dropped along with your average [[RandomDrops random loot drops]], and some utilize lootboxes as their only way of monetising a FreeToPlay model. It's the vast difference in business models surrounding lootboxes that has made the general public sceptical of them, considering that one lootbox system may be ''wildly'' different to another despite appearing to be the same on the surface. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking The vast difference also makes it a pain to trope them sometimes]].

** The Gold Chest contains most non-event skins, emotes, and [=MVP=] poses, and costs 75 Crystals. You can earn one for free by completing your Ranked placement matches, and in Level 49 of Battle Pass 9 and 10.

* ''ZT Online'', a Chinese MMORPG which entered public beta on 21 April [[OlderThanYouThink 2006]] with this as an inaugural feature, is the UrExample for this trope. In this game, boxes are obtained as {{plunder}} but each box requires a key that costs 1 yuan (one-sixth of an US dollar) to open. Under governmental pressure, its use of loot boxes ended on 26 June, 2009.

* ''[=PokeFarm=] Q'' has the boxes, which will contain random items like berries, treasure that can be sold, evolution items, or even rare items like Mega Evolution stones or Legendary Pokemon summon items. The chances of what items you get are explicitly stated in a pop-up menu. You can find regular boxes while doing Scour missions, but you can also buy boxes that contain other boxes with money. The Box Box which contains 21 regular boxes, the Box Box Box which contains 5 Box Boxes, and the Gragon's Stash which contains 5 Box Box Boxes. For ease of trade, you can also pack 21 regular boxes into a Box Box. (But, oddly, you can't pack the Box Boxes into its further counterparts...)
** Flat-out defied with "Grab Bag" threads -- essentially, threads members of the community would own in the trade forums where they would be able to gamble in-game items, Pokemon, or other sorts of things. Eventually, after the staff saw complaints about possible scamming, and ran a poll. Afterwards, Grab Bag threads were effectively banned, and paying to enter a raffle was also banned so nobody could loophole by calling them anything else.

* ''VideoGame/PAYDAY2'' had its Crimefest 2015 event, which was a major PR disaster for Overkill due to them implementing Safes and Drills as microtransactions, which contain weapon skins, in an event in which content was ''meant to be free to all players.'' It didn't help that skins ''may'' sometimes have stat boosts tacked onto them, but with the game being PVE, not PVP, this is not what the majority of people were upset about. What ''was'' upsetting, and more galling, was that a few years prior, the devs famously said that wouldn't add microtransactions to the game (''"Shame on you, if you thought otherwise!"''). In fairness, Overkill has tried to make things right since then, by delisting the paid drills and their respective safes, essentially removing the drills needed to open those Safes from circulation, and made it so that safes added after Update #100 become free to open, requiring no drill to open, and they'll drop at the end of a heist once per week at random. The Crimefest name became so tarnished after 2015, that, when the annual event came around the following year, they dropped the name ''entirely'', instead naming the event around one of the major features of that event (The Hoxtons Housewarming Party, an event to bring in the much-awaited customisable safehouse to the game), although the Fall 2017 event would later reuse the Crimefest name. While the Microtransactions are still ''technically'' in the game, PAYDAY 2 goes out of its way to hide the option to buy pre-update #100 drills and safes.

The first clear examples of this mechanic are the Chinese ''ZT Online'' (2007) and Canadian ''FIFA 09'' (2008). In East Asia it would soon come to dominate the [[MobilePhoneGame mobile]] and [[BrowserGame browser]] gaming markets, where it's known as "gacha" after [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gashapon the toy capsule machines]]. The term "lootboxes" [[TropeNamer was coined]] by ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' in 2016.

* There are various Chests on rotation in ''VideoGame/{{Paladins}}'', some unlock one random skin per roll, and others grant you a cosmetic item such as an [=MVP Pose=] or emote, all of which are '''guaranteed''' to be something you don't already have, as unlike its contemporaries, the game does not give you duplicate items. This has the inevitable downside of leading to a minority of players unlocking everything in a specific chest, and then earning more from events, which they cannot open since there's nothing left for them to win (Battle Chests are notorious for this), Here are some of the categories:
** The Gold Chest contains most non-event skins, emotes, and [=MVP=] poses, and costs 75 Crystals. You can earn one for free by completing your Ranked placement matches, and in Level 49 of Battle Pass 9.
** The Diamond Chest contains a smaller selection of Epic and Legendary skins and mounts, and costs 300 Crystals. Players can earn one for free by reaching level 49 of the free Battle Pass (Except for Battle Pass 9).
** The Flair Chest contains...flairs (as in, stuff to show off). This includes emotes, [=MVP=] poses, avatars and the somewhat unusually named flairs (the text underneath one's name, for example; "God8898 - The Impatient"). It costs 50 Crystals and many can be earned from both the free and paid tracks of some Battle Passes.

* There are various Chests in ''VideoGame/{{Paladins}}'', some unlock one random skin or other cosmetic item, which is '''guaranteed''' to be something you don't already have. This has the inevitable downside of leading to some players unlocking everything in a specific chest, and then earning more from events, which they cannot open since there's nothing left for them to win, Here are some of the categories:
** The Gold Chest contains most non-event skins, emotes, and poses, and costs 75 Crystals. You can earn one for free by completing your Ranked placement matches.
** The Diamond Chest contains a smaller selection of Epic and Legendary skins and mounts, and costs 300 Crystals. Players can earn one for free by reaching level 49 of the free Battle Pass.
** The Flair Chest contains emotes, poses, avatars and, as the name implies, flairs (the text underneath ones name). It costs 50 Crystals and many can be earned from both the free and paid tracks of each Battle Pass.

* ''VideoGame/CookieRun'' has its gacha mechanic with pet eggs, cookie chests, and treasure incantations. All of these have equal odds, except for the "special" variants, where some are rigged in the favor of a selection of 8 cookies/pets or 5 treasures, plus 2 cookies/pets or 1 treasure that the player can choose to be rigged in their favor.

* Chests in ''VideoGame/{{Paladins}}'' unlock one random skin or other cosmetic item, which is guaranteed to be something you don't already have (leading to some players unlocking everything in a chest, and then earning more from events, which they cannot open since there's nothing left for them to win).

** The Flair Chest contains emotes, poses, and avatars. It costs 50 Crystals and many can be earned from both the free and paid tracks of each Battle Pass.
** Event chests cost various amounts of Crystals and contain various items from past events or that share a specific theme.

Loot boxes serve as a point of contention due to ''[[SturgeonsLaw many]]'' [[AllegedlyFreeGame allegedly free games]] which have hidden real and tangible ways of BribingYourWayToVictory behind this [[GameplayRandomization randomized method of acquisition]]. It also crept into paid games, with ''Videogame/TeamFortress2'' and ''Videogame/CounterStrike: Global Offensive'' adding skin cases and the like.[[note]]though ''[=TF2=]'' would transition to free-to-play a few months later, which ''Global Offensive'' would go Free to Play ''six years later''[[/note]] Eventually governments would start investigating whether they should be regulated as ''gambling'' -- Japan has banned [[DismantledMacGuffin one particularly addictive form]] of the mechanic since 2012, and a 2016 Chinese ruling banned paid lootboxes completely, though both laws were filled with loopholes (publishers like Blizzard simply switched to [[LoopholeAbuse selling worthless items that included lootboxes as "free gifts"]]). The widespread backlash against ''Videogame/StarWarsBattlefrontII2017'' also lead to many countries in the Western hemisphere taking greater notice, with Belgium, the Netherlands and the Isle of Man implementing restrictions soon after.

** Style Boxes give a random piece of clothing which replaces the appearance of your equipment. ''VideoGame/MapleStory2'' also has these, but not the regular Gachapon.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[TheSimpsons You can have the washer and dryer...]] or you can trade it all in for [[MysteryBox what's in the box]]...]]

In video games, a "loot box" [[InsistentTerminology (also]] [[MemeticMutation notoriously]] [[InsistentTerminology christened "surprise mechanics" by]] [[Creator/ElectronicArts EA]]) is a container with [[RandomDrops randomized]], possibly [[RareRandomDrop rare loot]]. While some are actual boxes within the game world which the PlayerCharacter picks up, they tend to be [[GameplayAndStorySegregation a bit more disconnected]] -- they're often acquired from the game's menu system outside of gameplay (a process that can include {{Microtransactions}}), and their "contents" aren't limited to physical items but can include insubstantials like new classes or skins.

In video games, a "loot box" is a container with [[RandomDrops randomized]], possibly [[RareRandomDrop rare loot]]. While some are actual boxes within the game world which the PlayerCharacter picks up, they tend to be [[GameplayAndStorySegregation a bit more disconnected]] -- they're often acquired from the game's menu system outside of gameplay (a process that can include {{Microtransactions}}), and their "contents" aren't limited to physical items but can include insubstantials like new classes or skins.

* ''Videogame/{{Warframe}}'' has random boxes you can buy outright by credits or the paid for currency Platinum, also you often accumulate "relics" either through purchase or looting, but to open them you have to play a harder than usual mission and the loot inside the relic is extremely randomized, although one can alter the odds. Lastly most of relic contents are parts to be assembled for full set.

* ''Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes'' has Data Cards. Bronzium cards are free every so many minutes. Chromium Packs can be bought along with Faction Packs, which center on various factions like Jedi or Ewoks, ship packs, mods packs, and packs that are made available when new characters are launched. Getting great drops is quite rare and packs will often just have thr minimum possible amount of character shards or items.