Why has this game requested api.paradox-interactive.com 223299 times?

[Bedna]

I have a pihole, saving long time data on it and it has been running for about 2 years.
I have not checked the long time data before, because, well, no real reason until it has been a "long time".

Mark my surprise when I see the top 10 most requested domains,
1. api.paradox-interactive.com 223299
2. gql.twitch.tv 24715
3. ping.archlinux.org 22447
etc etc...

The gap is 10 times between 1 and 2, and the rest of the list looks completely normal.
WTF is this and why is this game doing this to my network?

I have not even played cs2 for a long time, and I play no other paradox games.
I don't know my playtime, but it's not THAT much, you guys can probably check on my account.
This is insane!
WHY and WHAT is it doing?

[Bedna]

Ok, I found some time.

Started the game from steam and IMMEDIATELY just from the launcher I got this within 2 seconds:

|2024-08-24 16:21:40|AAAA|api.paradox-interactive.com|bednaPC-lan.lan|OK (cache)|CNAME (0.0ms)||
| 2024-08-24 16:21:40 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com | bednaPC-lan.lan | OK (cache) | CNAME (0.1ms) |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:21:36 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com | bednaPC-lan.lan | OK (cache) | CNAME (0.0ms) |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:21:36 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com | bednaPC-lan.lan | OK (cache) | CNAME (0.1ms) |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:21:36 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com | bednaPC-lan.lan | OK (cache) | CNAME (0.0ms) |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:21:36 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com | bednaPC-lan.lan | OK (cache) | CNAME (0.1ms) |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:21:36 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com | bednaPC-lan.lan | OK (cache) | CNAME (0.0ms) |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:21:36 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com | bednaPC-lan.lan | OK (cache) | CNAME (0.0ms) |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:21:36 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com | bednaPC-lan.lan | OK (cache) | CNAME (0.1ms) |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:21:36 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com |                 |            |               |     |

Started the game into game lobby, and it just continues:

| 2024-08-24 16:23:01 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:23:01 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:23:01 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:58 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:58 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:58 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:58 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:58 | A    | client-logger.tv.comhem.se          | tvhub-sovrum.lan | OK (answered by localhost#5335) | IP (119.0ms)    |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:58 | A    | remote-data.urbanairship.com        | tvhub-sovrum.lan | Blocked (gravity)               | IP (0.1ms)      |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:55 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:55 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:55 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:55 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:52 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:52 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:52 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:52 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:52 | A    | modscontent.paradox-interactive.com | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (answered by localhost#5335) | CNAME (81.1ms)  |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:49 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:49 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:49 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:49 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:46 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:46 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:46 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:46 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:45 | A    | telemetry.paradox-interactive.com   | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (answered by localhost#5335) | CNAME (38.3ms)  |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:44 | A    | submit.backtrace.io                 | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (answered by localhost#5335) | CNAME (107.8ms) |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:43 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:43 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:43 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:43 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:42 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:40 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.0ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:40 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:40 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:40 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (cache)                      | CNAME (0.1ms)   |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:37 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (already forwarded)          | N/A             |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:37 | AAAA | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (answered by localhost#5335) | CNAME (39.8ms)  |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:37 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (already forwarded)          | N/A             |     |
| 2024-08-24 16:22:37 | A    | api.paradox-interactive.com         | bednaPC-lan.lan  | OK (answered by localhost#5335) | CNAME (0.7ms)   |     |

I did not even start the game, but I KNOW it just continues constantly.
modscontent.paradox-interactive.com is requested once after entering game lobby, so this does not seem mod related.
telemetry.paradox-interactive.com is also only contacted once, the rest is the constant api calls.

Unless Paradox cares, I don't care. Clearly they do not or they would have responded to the bug report made about this issue that I linked to in this thread.

My recommendation for everyone experiencing something so disrespectful like this from a company, just block everything completely, both incoming and outgoing. Exactly like you would do with malware or intrusive ads.