Diablo Immortal won't release in the Netherlands and Belgium due to loot box law

The launch for Diablo Immortal is getting ever closer, and while many fans around the world are probably getting ready to dive into Sanctuary on their mobile devices, players living in the Netherlands and Belgium won't be part of that list.

And that's because Diablo Immortal will not be launching in both of those countries due to the law that restricts gambling and loot boxes in video games.

As Gamesindustry.biz reports, Activision Blizzard's Benelux communication manager has said (via Tweakers) that "the current operating conditions in these countries" is the reason for the decision.

While this doesn't directly mention loot boxes as the reason for this development, a follow up statement by another Blizzard employee on Diablo Immortal's subreddit has added that "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 also went a step further to add that Blizzard cannot guarantee that anyone who plays the game in these countries won't be banned for doing so, due to this legislation.