Publishers can revoke keys purchased with stolen credit cards or fraudulent payments, and the game disappears from your library with no refund. This is rare on authorized resellers (Humble Bundle, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming) because they source keys directly from publishers. On grey market marketplaces where individual sellers list keys, the risk is real.

A region-locked key from the wrong region simply won't activate - no ban risk there. The risk comes from using a VPN to bypass the lock, which Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox all prohibit and can result in account restrictions. Reputable sellers clearly label region locks (Global, EU, NA) on every listing.

Authorized resellers (Humble Bundle, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming) receive keys directly from publishers, so there's zero revocation risk. Grey market sites (G2A, Kinguin, Eneba) are open marketplaces where anyone can list keys from unknown sources - they may come from legitimate bulk buys, regional arbitrage, or fraudulent purchases. The price difference is usually 10-20%, which is the premium for guaranteed legitimacy.

Authorized resellers typically offer 5-15% off retail outside sale periods and 10-30% during promotions. Grey market sites offer 20-60% off, but deeper discounts correlate with higher sourcing risk. If a grey market listing is dramatically below any price the game has ever had, the sourcing is suspect.

Most grey market marketplaces sell optional buyer protection (G2A Shield, Kinguin Buyer Protection) for $1-2 per purchase, covering non-working keys and in some cases revocations - but terms vary by platform. Without it, your only recourse is disputing directly with the seller. Authorized resellers include buyer protection by default because they guarantee every key they sell.

On both authorized resellers and grey market sites, digital keys are delivered instantly via email or account dashboard - typically within seconds. Pre-order keys are the exception, delivered on or near the release date. If a key hasn't arrived within 30 minutes on any major platform, contact support immediately.