Blizzard removes real-money purchase options for loot boxes in Belgium

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Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm lose loot box payment options

Players of Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm in Belgium will no longer be able to pay real-world money for loot boxes, Blizzard has confirmed. The announcement follows Belgium's declaration in April that loot boxes are, legally speaking, gambling. You can read the post in full over on the Blizzard forums. In part, it reads:

"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. 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. ... While players in Belgium will no longer be able to purchase paid loot boxes in Overwatch and loot chests in Heroes of the Storm, they’ll still be able to earn them by playing the games, and they’ll still have access to all in-game content."

Sam Prell
Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.