Sealed and Active states
A Terminal begins Sealed and can be traded or listed on the Steam Community Market. Unsealing it irreversibly changes it to Active. An Active Terminal can no longer be traded or listed, and has an expiration timer of three days. If it expires unresolved, it is destroyed and removed from the inventory.
The state change matters because activating the item commits the player to a time-limited offer sequence and ends the terminal’s marketability. A Terminal does not require a key; its item offers have quoted prices, so “keyless” does not mean that an accepted cosmetic is free.
Offer sequence and purchase limit
An Active Terminal presents up to five items sequentially from its collection. Each offer can be accepted or declined. Declining permanently removes that offer and it cannot be revisited. Only one item can be purchased from the terminal; if all offers are declined, the terminal is deleted when the sequence is finished.
The player can choose among three offer-price limits. The offered item and its wear rating, pattern template, exterior and price are randomized. Price varies with rarity and wear, and the recorded system adjusts prices based on demand in the collection. These details make each terminal an individual offer sequence rather than a fixed list in which every player sees identical items and values.
Purchased item and cooldown
A purchased item includes an Original Owner Certificate. The certificate is removed if the item is later traded or sold on the Steam Community Market. The purchased item has a seven-day trade and market cooldown before it becomes tradable or marketable. These restrictions apply to the acquired item and are separate from the Sealed Terminal’s ability to be listed before activation.
Terminal offer prices vary by item rarity and wear. The terminal is not a case key and does not promise a specific skin; it displays the offer and quoted amount so the player can accept or permanently decline it.
Offer viewing and collection progress
Viewing offers can grant experience. The Terminal tracks which items in each rarity grade have been seen; after all items in every grade have been viewed, the player can use the Get Bonus XP option. Viewing progress is separate from purchasing, so seeing an item does not mean that it has been added to the inventory.
The Genesis Terminal is tied to the Genesis Collection, introduced September 16, 2025. The Dead Hand Terminal is tied to the Dead Hand Collection, introduced March 11, 2026, with 17 weapon finishes and 22 glove finishes. These are distinct dated item pools using the Terminal system. Terminals may be supplied through a weekly drop; current drop availability can change.