Loot box laws reportedly keep Diablo Immortal out of 2 countries

Diablo Immortal, Blizzard Entertainment’s free-to-play Diablo game, is set to launch on Windows PC and mobile Wednesday. But it’ll reportedly stay offline in two European countries: Belgium and the Netherlands.

That’s because of those countries’ strict loot box laws, according to a report from GamesIndustry.biz and Dutch website Tweakers. A Blizzard support worker also reportedly told a Reddit user that it’s due to gambling restrictions. Blizzard previously said that it had removed lootbox systems from Belgian versions of its games. Overwatch Heroes of the Storm Representatives claimed that this move was meant to be in compliance with the rules of the Belgian Gaming Commission. However, the representatives chose to not bring it. Diablo ImmortalThe Netherlands and Belgium might give an indication of how intertwined these systems can be in the game.

Blizzard has not responded to Polygon’s request for comment.

Some of these were displayed by Blizzard Diablo Immortal’s cosmetic and customization options for the mobile game in March. It stated Diablo Immortal’s new Class Change system would help support this, with plans “to roll out a new cosmetic set for all classes each month,” each of which match the Battle Pass theme. For players to receive rewards, they must buy Battle Passes.

Blizzard however has stated that it does not believe all players are equal Diablo Immortal’s customizable gear will be available to earn through play rather than only through purchases.

The Netherlands, like Belgium, has previously banned loot boxes from games. FIFA 21’s Ultimate Team mode. This ruling was overturned by a Dutch court in 2022. The decision that card packs weren’t considered gambling violated Dutch law.

Diablo ImmortalBlizzard and NetEase developed the game – it was announced for the first time at BlizzCon 2018 The game was delayed to 2022 in August 2021 following feedback from the game’s alpha testing periods.