Gifting in Dota 2 should be simple. Provided that you and your friend have been Steam friends for at least 30 days, you just buy a set, pick your friend’s name from the gift list, and send it their way.
But what if your friend’s name doesn’t even appear in the gift recipient list, even though:
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You’ve been friends for years
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Both accounts have Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator
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Neither of you recently changed your password, email, or phone number
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The item you’re gifting is marked as giftable
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many players run into this confusing Dota 2 gifting issue and the culprit isn’t always obvious.
In this guide, we’ll break down what’s really happening, why your friend doesn’t appear in the Dota 2 gift list, and how we confirmed that CS2 trade protection can block Dota 2 gifting even when there are no visible restrictions.
The Usual Steam Trade Restrictions
Normally, if you can’t gift or trade with a friend, it’s due to standard Steam restrictions such as:
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Changing your password
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Updating your email address
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Adding or changing your phone number
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Re-enabling or updating your mobile authenticator
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Adding a new payment method
When one of these actions occurs, Steam enforces a 7-day cooldown. During this period, you’ll see a clear warning in your Steam Market or when attempting a trade. In Dota 2, the affected friend will also appear in the gift restriction list with an explanation of why they can’t receive gifts.
But what if there’s no indicator?
The Hidden Restriction: CS2 Trade Protection
Here’s what happened in our case study:
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Both accounts were fully protected with Steam Guard and had no recent security changes.
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The Dota 2 set was giftable and not on cooldown.
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The receiver’s name did not appear in the in-game gift restrictions list.
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Strangely, the receiver had just completed a CS2 (Counter-Strike 2) trade that carried a trade protection hold until a specific date.
What we discovered:
Even though the CS2 item was unrelated to Dota 2, the trade protection extended across the entire Steam account. This meant the receiver was blocked from receiving Dota 2 gifts, even though they didn’t have the usual Steam restrictions.
How to Confirm if CS2 Trade Protection Is Blocking Your Dota 2 Gift
If your friend isn’t appearing in the Dota 2 gift list, but none of the usual restrictions apply, here’s how to check if it’s due to CS2 trade protection:
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Check the CS2 Inventory
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Ask your friend to open their CS2 inventory in Steam.
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Right-click the protected item → View in Community Market.
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Look for the “Tradable After [date]” message.
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Test With Another Friend
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Have them try to send a trade offer to another Steam friend.
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If they can’t trade at all, it’s a global restriction.
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Try a Different Dota 2 Item
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Attempt to gift them another giftable Dota 2 item.
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If their name still doesn’t appear, it confirms the restriction isn’t item-specific.
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Wait for the Trade Protection to Lift
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Once the CS2 protection period ends, gifting in Dota 2 should work again without any further issues.
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Our Results
We tested this extensively. At first, we thought it was a Dota 2 bug or hidden Steam Guard issue, but after investigating, we confirmed:
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The receiver’s account had no normal restrictions.
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The only restriction was from a CS2 trade protection hold.
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Once the hold expired on the listed date, gifting Dota 2 Collector’s Cache sets worked normally again.
Key Takeaways for Players
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If your friend doesn’t appear in the Dota 2 gift list, but they meet all the normal requirements → check if they recently traded CS2 items.
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CS2 trade protection can block Dota 2 gifting, even when no indicator appears in the Steam Market or Dota 2’s restriction list.
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This is a global Steam limitation, not a Dota 2 bug.
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Solution: Wait until the CS2 trade protection period ends.
Update (October 2025):
Earlier this month, we encountered a similar case where the same buyer had another CS2 trade protection hold. Initially, they expected to face the same Dota 2 gifting issue, but this time, our partner account was still able to send the gift successfully. 🎉 This suggests that Valve may have quietly patched the bug, limiting CS2 trade protection to CS2-related trades only. While not officially confirmed, it’s a positive sign that Dota 2 gifting is no longer affected by unrelated CS2 trade holds.
Final Thoughts
This hidden connection between CS2 trade holds and Dota 2 gifting isn’t documented clearly by Steam, which makes it frustrating for players who just want to send items to friends. It’s possible that Valve/Steam simply overlooked adding a proper guide or notice for this interaction, especially since the CS2 trade protection update is still fairly new.
Until an official explanation is published, the best solution is awareness: if your friend isn’t showing up in the Dota 2 gift list and there are no normal restrictions, check if they recently traded CS2 items under protection. Once the hold lifts, gifting should work as intended.
P.S. This issue was observed and tested over a week before we decided to publish this article. It’s possible that Valve has already patched or adjusted the system since then but if not, we hope this guide saves you time and confusion.
