Blizzard announced that it’s removing paid loot boxes and chests from Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm players in Belgium following the aftermath from European loot box rulings held this past weekend.
The Belgian Gaming Commission declared loot boxes illegal back in April after deciding that titles like Overwatch (among others) violated Belgium’s gambling regulations, citing them as “games of chance,” and therefore illegal under current regulations.
“While we at Blizzard were surprised by this conclusion and do not share the same opinion, we have decided to comply with their interpretation of Belgian law,” Blizzard said in a statement.
“As a result, we have no choice but to implement measures that will prevent Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm players located in Belgium from purchasing in-game loot boxes and loot chests with real money and gems.”
The post goes on to note that Belgian players will still be able to earn loot boxes by playing the games and they’ll still have access to all in-game content, despite not being able to purchase them.
While there’s no specific date for when paid loot boxes will be removed, Blizzard said it would happen “shortly.” The company also noted that it’s open to discuss the matter further with the appropriate authorities, leaving a possibility paid loot boxes could return in the future.