Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Most professional gamers would be skeptical about trading with a website that offers exceptionally discounted game codes. The one question that will immediately spring into your mind when you come across such platforms is – is this a legitimate company or a scam?
Indeed, its’ understandable to be suspicious. The internet is never short of shady elements actively trying to defraud unsuspecting users.
But in any niche, even the grey market, there are always a few traders who delight in placing their clients’ happiness and satisfaction above the profit motive. You only need to look in the right places. G2A is one company that has carved its niche in the third-party game code reselling market.
But is G2A safe or will I be scammed? Read on to find out.
What Is G2A?
G2A.COM Limited, better known simply as G2A, is a digital marketplace that specializes in the resale of gaming products using redemption keys. The company was founded in Poland by Bartosz Skwarczek and Dawid Ro?ek. It’s headquartered in Hong Kong but maintains offices in China, Poland, and the Netherlands.
Although it’s popularly known for the resale of gaming products using redemption keys, G2A deals in a host of other products. They include software and prepaid activation keys. The website also offers electronics (particularly gaming hardware) and other merchandise.
G2A has been around since 2010. But like its competitors, such as Kinguin and CDKeys, the company gained mainstream recognition around 2013. As of March 2020, G2A had over 20 million active users.
Company Summary
- Name: G2A
- Industry: Digital Distribution
- Year Founded: 2010
- Founders: Bartosz Skwarczek and Dawid Ro?ek
- Country of Origin: Poland
- Headquarters: Hong Kong; Also maintains offices in Poland, China, and the Netherlands
- Availability: Worldwide
- Current Status: Active
- Official Website Link: https://www.g2a.com/
A Brief History of G2A
G2A was founded in 2010 in Rzeszów, Poland, by Bartosz Skwarczek and Dawid Ro?ek. However, the G2A marketplace was officially launched in 2014. In January 2015, the company introduced the G2A PAY online payment getaway. It later struck a partnership deal with US-based digital payment processing system for Bitcoin – BitPay.
G2A’s fortunes continued to improve as the website strived to establish its dominance in the game code reselling market. The company has since partnered with other brands in pursuing noble causes. One of the most notable of these accomplishments happened in December 2016 when G2A sponsored the Exhibition & Congress Center located in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship of Poland. The center would later be renamed the G2A Arena. Other notable partnerships include with Microsoft Corporation to use Azure cloud technologies and Nexmo to introduce a two-factor authentication API on the G2A website.
Interestingly, G2A doesn’t sell its products directly to clients. The company operates as a marketplace that links digital product service providers with their customers. The sellers could be game developers or customers who purchased a game but chose not to activate their codes. They could also be people with game codes acquired by false key requests.
How Does G2A Work?
The process of trading in digital gaming products on the G2A marketplace is simple and easy. The most important step is to register for an account.
Since G2A is a marketplace, it’s possible to join the platform as a buyer or seller. In either case, you’ll have to sign up for an account.
To register for a G2A account, you’ll need to head to this link (https://account.g2a.com/register). Enter your email address and choose a strong password. The password must contain letters, numbers, and special characters.
Then, check the boxes that need checking and click on “Create account.” An activation link will be sent to your email. Click on the link to complete your registration process. Note that the link is only active for 20 minutes.
If you didn’t receive the email in your inbox or spam folder, try to resend the activation link.
Once you have an account, you can choose to sell or buy digital products.
Buyers looking to purchase a game code on the G2A platform can do so by following the below procedure;
i. Type the name of the game into the search bar located in the upper middle section of the G2A Marketplace’s homepage.
ii. Wait to be redirected to a page containing the product you’re looking for.
iii. When you get to the product page, view the product’s description carefully, paying attention to its price.
iv. Read the seller’s ratings to establish their reputation.
v. If you’re ready to purchase the game code, proceed to checkout and select your preferred payment method.
vi. Pay and check your email for a game key.
vii. Activate the key on the relevant gaming website – Epic Games Store, Origin, Steam, Uplay, etc.
Retailers looking to sell game product activation codes through the G2A website can follow the below procedure;
i. Log into your G2A account.
ii. Click on “My Account,” followed by ” Sell item.”
There’s also the option of clicking on the “Start selling now” button located in the upper right section on the G2A’s homepage. If creating an offer for the first time, G2A will prompt you to verify your identity. Once you’re verified, continue to the next steps;
iii. Pick a name for your product, such as a key code or a Steam gift.
iv. Set a price for your offer in euros.
v. Choose your offer’s status and visibility.
Note that standard offers are only available for 14 days for individual sellers and 1461 days for business sellers. Lastly, click the “Sell Item” button located at the bottom of the screen to make your offer ready for purchase.
Is G2A Legit?
G2A is a legitimate company that offers genuine services. The company conducts robust verification processes for first-time sellers in an attempt to weed out unscrupulous dealers from its platform.
Selling on the G2A marketplace is also quick and easy. What’s more, the website offers secure payment getaways, including its very own payment method – G2A PAY.
But while G2A won’t scam you out of your money, the same cannot be said about the website’s users. Remember that G2A is inherently a marketplace. Therefore, there are always risks of buyers getting defrauded by dodgy clients.
That underscores the importance of reading a client’s reviews thoroughly before purchasing any product from them. For new clients, your best bet is to analyze their marketing language. Clients who pitch their game codes purely based on price are likely to be scammers.
Also, while G2A doesn’t scam its clients, the company has garnered a considerable amount of bad publicity. Game developers particularly detest the website, claiming that they don’t get their fair remunerations when their games are sold through the G2A marketplace. They further claim that some G2A codes are obtained fraudulently.
These claims aren’t very far from the truth. But they don’t necessarily translate to direct culpability on the part of G2A. So far, there’s no evidence to the effect that G2A works in cahoots with scammers to disadvantage game developers. In fact, the website has been transparent enough to admit that some of the codes on its platform could have been obtained fraudulently. An example is the game of Factorio, where about 200 stolen keys were sold through the G2A marketplace. To redeem its image and restore faith in its stakeholders, G2A paid $39,600 in compensation to the game’s developer – Wube.
Wrap Up
G2A is a safe platform to buy game codes and other digital products. The company acts as a link between game key customers and service providers.
But as with any marketplace, there are still chances of getting scammed on G2A. It all depends on who you do business with.
