The MMORPG Bless Unleashed is set to release on PC in spring 2021. However, while we can play it without issues, it is not permitted in the Netherlands and Belgium.
What is happening with Bless Unleashed? As the developers from Round8 Studios informed on Steam, their MMORPG is not allowed to release in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The statement indicates that it is due to specific regulations related to gaming in these countries:
Bless Unleashed on PC is supposed to be a global game that can be enjoyed worldwide. However, restrictions apply for the countries listed below due to their gaming-related regulations.
– Restricted countries: Netherlands, Belgium
– Restricted gaming platforms: Steam
– Effective date: From February 16, 2021We appreciate your understanding in this matter.
Why is Bless Unleashed being blocked? No specific explanation regarding the issues with the regulations has been shared. However, the Netherlands and Belgium are known for their strict rules regarding loot boxes and Pay2Win:
- As early as 2017, we reported that Overwatch and Star Wars: Battlefront 2 were investigated by the respective authorities.
- Players from the corresponding countries can also no longer open loot boxes in CS:GO.
- Guild Wars 2 responded to the loot box ban by stating that players from Belgium cannot shop in the store at all.
However, Bless Unleashed currently does not offer such loot boxes, at least not for real money. There are only reward chests that can be earned in-game.
However, the shop has some content that could fall into the Pay2Win category.
For some, this begins as soon as they have boosters for additional gold or experience, allowing them to be faster than others. For others, Pay2Win is only predominant when players can gain an advantage through real money that other players cannot obtain without spending money and regardless of the time invested.
Bless Unleashed offers various boosters and indirect gold purchase
What does the shop of Bless Unleashed offer? For real money, you can purchase the currency Lumena. Through that, you can buy some items in a suitable shop that might be considered Pay2Win, depending on the definition:
- There are optional tickets for a few hours up to 90 days that provide extra gold, more XP, more reputation, or bonuses when collecting materials
- You can indirectly buy in-game currency
- There are resurrection scrolls that can save you gold and time
Besides these contents, the shop offers a variety of skins and additional character, inventory, and bank slots. Notably, the prices are quite high. While mounts can be purchased for around 10 euros, you pay 25 euros for 10 inventory slots.
Is that enough for a ban? Many of these contents can also be found in other MMORPGs that do not necessarily have a reputation for being Pay2Win.
Although there are players on Reddit discussing that people exchange real money for gold and can then buy the best equipment from other players. However, in the end, those players are not stronger than those who offered their equipment for sale.
The exact circumstances of why Bless Unleashed cannot be played in these countries are therefore not entirely clear. However, this ban does not affect us in Germany.
We at MeinMMO have already played the new MMORPG in beta. We have summarized our experiences here: This is how the new MMORPG Bless Unleashed plays on PC.
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