2K Games has asked fans of its games to contact local representatives of the Belgian government to tell them about their opinion of loot boxes. This is in reference to the publisher’s upcoming game, NBA 2K19. This unusual plea position comes after the European nation’s governing bodies deeming that microtransactions could count as gambling under its laws.
In a recent statement, 2K Games announced that changes would be coming to NBA 2K19 to comply with the Belgium Gaming Commission’s (BSG) views on loot boxes and to avoid criminal prosecution. The company stated that the latest entry to its popular basketball franchise will have changes to its MyTeam mode.
In the statement, the company has said that it “will be turning off the ability to purchase packs with premium (non-earned) currency/VC… [and that] gamers are still able to acquire packs with MyTeam points.” This means that players will not be able to purchase ‘blind’ card packs within the game with real-world currencies in Belgium.
The statement goes on to add that the company “will be continuing conversations with the BGC” about loot boxes, and how its microtransaction features do in fact comply with local laws. In addition to this, the company adds that “If you agree, we recommend that you contact your local government representative to communicate your opinion” as a call to action for its Belgian fans.
This is not the first time the Belgian Gaming Commission’s stance on loot boxes has affected a game. In July 2018, the BSG’s ruling had forced CS:GO to remove its loot boxes to comply with the European state’s laws. Other games that may be affected in the future by the BSG include Overwatch and FIFA 18 as those two games were specifically noted in the commission’s report on loot boxes to potentially face criminal prosecution for their microtransaction systems.
