Activision Blizzard won’t release its upcoming mobile title, Diablo Immortal, in Belgium and Netherlands. The reason is these countries’ laws on loot boxes.
The ability to pre-register for Diablo Immortal on the App Store and Google Play disappeared just a few days after Blizzard announced the release date for the game, Tweakers reported on May 23.
An Activision Blizzard representative told the outlet that Diablo Immortal won’t be released in Belgium and Netherlands at all, citing the “current operating conditions for games in those countries” as the main reason. This applies to both mobile and PC versions.
Belgium is known for its ongoing fight against loot boxes. If any in-game item can be bought for real money and if chance plays a key part in obtaining it, it violates local gambling law. As for the Netherlands, the country is against loot boxes, which represent an economic value.
Diablo Immortal, which will come out on June 2, has already reached over 35 million pre-registrations globally.