Belgian players in Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm will soon not be able to buy loot boxes. Blizzard will disable this feature to comply with local laws — the country’s authorities have recognized luboks as gambling mechanics and banned publishers from monetizing titles in this way.
“Although we are surprised by the decision of the Belgian government and disagree with its position, we decided to comply with the requirement of local law and stop the sale of loot boxes in Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm. Gamers will still be able to receive loot boxes by completing game tests,” representatives of the gaming company said on the official forum, adding that the shutdown will happen soon.
Blizzard is not the only gaming company that has succumbed to the demands of the Belgian authorities to limit loot boxes. Last week, for the same reason, the publisher 2K Games removed the possibility of buying premium currency from the NBA 2K18 basketball simulator in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Recall that the Netherlands and Belgium have started regulating the use of the mechanics of loot boxes since April of this year. The countries were the first in Europe to officially restrict loot boxes at the state level. Violators of the requirements face large monetary fines.
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