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Staking & Loot Boxes

Calculating Expected Value (EV)

3min

What is Expected Value (EV)? (Simple Explanation)

Expected Value (EV) is a way to figure out what you can expect to get on average when you open a Loot Box, based on the chances of getting different rewards.

Think of it like this:

  • A Loot Box has different prizes inside.
  • Some prizes are common and not worth a lot.
  • Some prizes are rare and worth a lot.
  • Each prize has a drop rate (how often you get it).

Since you don’t know exactly what you’ll get when you open one, EV helps you figure out the average value of a Loot Box if you opened thousands of them.

How to Calculate EV (Step-by-Step)

  1. Look at the possible rewards and their drop rates. Example:
    • A common item (60% chance) is worth $2
    • A rare item (25% chance) is worth $5
    • An epic item (10% chance) is worth $15
    • A legendary item (5% chance) is worth $50
  2. Multiply each item’s value by its drop rate.
    • Common: 60% × $2 = $1.20
    • Rare: 25% × $5 = $1.25
    • Epic: 10% × $15 = $1.50
    • Legendary: 5% × $50 = $2.50
  3. Add everything up to get the total EV
    • EV=1.20+1.25+1.50+2.50=$6.45

What Does This Mean?

  • If you open just one Loot Box, you could get lucky (a legendary) or unlucky (a common).
  • But if you open thousands of them, the average value per box will be around $6.45.
  • This does not mean every box is worth $6.45 - just that, over time, statistically it evens out.