How Do CDKeys Get Their Keys? The Truth Behind the Digital Game Key Marketplace
Unlocking the mystery of one of gaming’s most talked-about — and sometimes controversial — platforms.
Gamers love a good deal. Whether it’s a triple-A title slashed to half price or a beloved indie gem available for pocket change, the hunt for value is part of the thrill. Among the digital marketplaces that consistently deliver jaw-dropping discounts, CDKeys stands out — but not without raising eyebrows. How do CDKeys get their keys? It’s a question whispered in Reddit threads, shouted in Discord servers, and typed into search bars by cautious buyers worldwide. The answer isn’t simple, but it’s far from shady — if you understand the global game distribution ecosystem.
The Global Game Economy: More Layers Than You Think
To grasp how CDKeys operates, you must first understand that game distribution isn’t a monolith. Publishers like EA, Ubisoft, or Activision don’t just sell games directly to consumers. They work with authorized distributors, regional wholesalers, and retail partners across dozens of countries — each with different pricing strategies, tax structures, and currency values.
CDKeys sources its game keys primarily through these authorized regional distributors. Imagine a publisher selling 100,000 digital keys to a distributor in Turkey, where the average income is lower and game prices are adjusted accordingly. That distributor might then sell bulk keys to a reseller like CDKeys, who in turn offers them to global customers at prices far below what you’d pay on Steam or the PlayStation Store.
This is called regional pricing arbitrage — and it’s entirely legal.
No, CDKeys Isn’t Selling Stolen or “Grey Market” Keys (Usually)
A common misconception is that CDKeys deals in stolen, cracked, or black-market keys. While no marketplace is 100% immune to fraud, CDKeys has built its reputation over more than a decade by maintaining partnerships with legitimate suppliers. They don’t generate keys themselves — they don’t have access to publisher master keys or activation databases. Instead, they act as a reseller of legitimately purchased regional stock.
Think of it like this: if you travel to another country and buy a physical game cheaper than at home, then bring it back and sell it to a friend, you’re not breaking any laws. CDKeys does this digitally — and at scale.
That said, there have been isolated incidents. In 2020, some users reported keys for Cyberpunk 2077 purchased via CDKeys being revoked by CD Projekt Red. Why? Because the keys were sourced from a Turkish distributor, and CDPR later claimed those keys were intended for local use only. While frustrating for buyers, it highlights the risk inherent in regional arbitrage — not illegality.
The Role of Volume and Relationships
CDKeys doesn’t just stumble upon cheap keys. Its business model relies on bulk purchasing and long-term supplier relationships. By buying tens of thousands of keys at once — often during pre-order windows or regional sales — they secure deep discounts that trickle down to consumers.
Publishers sometimes even encourage this. A game that’s underperforming in Latin America might get a price drop. A distributor there buys up excess stock, sells it to CDKeys, and suddenly gamers in the UK or U.S. can grab it for 70% off. Everyone wins: the publisher clears inventory, the distributor makes a profit, CDKeys attracts customers, and gamers save money.
This is why you’ll often see CDKeys prices fluctuate — they’re not algorithm-driven like Amazon. They reflect real-time supply and regional stock availability.
Case Study: The Rise (and Risks) of Regional Key Reselling
Let’s look at Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. When it launched in November 2020, the standard edition retailed for
The catch? Ubisoft eventually restricted some regional keys from activating outside their intended territories. A small percentage of CDKeys buyers found their keys blocked — not because they were fraudulent, but because of publisher geo-restrictions enacted after the sale.
This is where buyer awareness matters. CDKeys typically labels region-restricted keys, but not always prominently. Savvy shoppers know to check the fine print — or stick to “GLOBAL” tagged listings.
Why Publishers Tolerate (or Secretly Love) CDKeys
You might wonder: if CDKeys undercuts official stores, why don’t publishers shut them down?
Simple: CDKeys drives incremental sales. Most CDKeys customers aren’t choosing between CDKeys and Steam — they’re choosing between CDKeys and not buying at all. A student in Germany who can’t afford a
Moreover, CDKeys absorbs the risk of unsold inventory. If a game flops, it’s CDKeys — not Ubisoft — sitting on 10,000 unused keys. For publishers, it’s a low-risk, high-reward wholesale channel.
Even Valve, notoriously protective of Steam’s ecosystem, hasn’t blocked CDKeys keys — because they’re legitimate. Steam’s own subscriber agreement doesn’t prohibit third-party key purchases, as long as the keys are valid