Diablo Immortal won't launch in two countries due to loot box legislation
Danielle Partis
News Editor
Monday 30th May 2022
Activision Blizzard will not launch the upcoming Diablo Immortal in multiple territories next month due to restrictive legislation in certain countries.
According to Dutch news outlet Tweakers, a communications manager at Activision Blizzard Benelux confirmed that the game won't release in the Netherlands and Belgium on June 2 due to "the current operating conditions in these countries."
Tweakers also reported that players in both areas were able to pre-register for Diablo Immortal ahead of its launch on mobile and PC, but the option was removed a few days after the game's launch date announcement back in April.
Another statement by a Blizzard employee shared to the Diablo Immortal subreddit also stated that players in the two countries won't be able to download the game due to said restrictions.
"The lootboxes in the game are against the law in your country, so unless the gambling restrictions change, the game will not be released in the Netherlands and Belgium," the post read.
The post went on to say: "If you manage to run the game I cannot guarantee that you will not be banned for it."
While the publisher did not cite loot boxes as the reason behind the move, both Belgium and the Netherlands have taken strict stances against the inclusion of loot boxes in video games.
Blizzard stopped sales of loot boxes in Belgium across some of its other titles in 2018, shortly after the Belgian Gaming Commission ruled that doing so breached several gambling laws in the country.
Companies including Nintendo, EA, Psyonix and Konami have also halted sales of such in both countries in recent years.
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