Don’t expect to play Diablo Immortal in the Netherlands when it releases this week. GamesIndustry.biz and Tweakers have learned that Blizzard will not be releasing free games in Belgium or the Netherlands due to its “gaming restrictions”, that is, its legislation banning loot boxes. It will also be illegal for people from these countries to download them from other regions, and the Blizzard support team warned that it could not guarantee that players in the affected countries would avoid the bans.
Belgium and the Netherlands determined in 2018 that some loot boxes, especially those you can buy or exchange for real money, are equivalent to gambling. Diablo Immortal includes access to its best statistics-enhancing items, such as some legendary gems, behind legendary shields that are often easier to obtain with real-world currency. While the articles you get are often good (to the point that some have argued that they are unfair), the attributes are random. This could theoretically pressure players to pay in hopes of getting the “perfect” shield and could attract people with addictive personalities.
Blizzard halted loot sales of other games in Belgium after the country cracked down on practice. The company is not unique either. EA, Konami, Nintendo and Epic Psyonix have withdrawn games to avoid violating anti-loot laws. However, it is still notable that Blizzard would rather remove Diablo Immortal from these countries than change the gameplay.
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