Diablo Immortal pulled from launch in Belgium and The Netherlands over loot box laws

gamesradar.com:

Diablo Immortal won't be available in Belgium or The Netherlands due to legislation over loot boxes.

Activision Blizzard has confirmed the news in a statement provided to Eurogamer (opens in new tab)  on May 31. "Diablo Immortal will not be available in Belgium or the Netherlands, and will not appear on Battle.net or the Belgian and Netherlands App or Google Play Stores," a spokesperson says.

What's more, the Activision Blizzard spokesperson confirms that the decision is explicitly linked to the loot box legislation in both countries. "This is related to the current operating environment for games in those countries. Accordingly, pre-registration for the game are not accessible in those markets," they say.

Belgium and The Netherlands opted to legislate against loot boxes back in 2018, deeming them to be a form of gambling. There's a lot more at play here than just loot boxes being banned, though, as the law in The Netherlands takes a stance against in-game items that can then be sold outside games for real-world money, like a CS:GO weapon skin, for example. 

So while there's a chance that Diablo Immortal could technically fly under the radar of the legislation if it doesn't allow for the sale of in-game items for real-world money, it looks like Activision Blizzard isn't taking any chances. When Diablo Immortal launches later this week around the world on June 2, it won't be coming to Belgium or The Netherlands.

Head over to our Diablo Immortal pre-load and release times explained guide for a complete walkthrough on where and when you can download the new mobile spin-off.