Why has Blizzard banned Diablo Immortal completely in Russia and Belarus?

The game has reportedly been banned on PC in Russia and Belarus (Image via Blizzard)
The game has reportedly been banned on PC in Russia and Belarus (Image via Blizzard)

Diablo Immortal might be a mobile game at heart, but it can be played smoothly on PCs. This port works well, although Blizzard claims the version is part of a closed beta test.

However, playing on PC might no longer be an option for Russian and Belarusian players as of yesterday. If recent news coming from the region is to be believed, Blizzard has made some significant decisions to restrict these users' accounts.

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Naturally, the decision has puzzled many who might not know its reason. Diablo Immortal hasn't been released in every place in the world, which includes the two nations in the discussion.

However, gamers in such regions can use VPNs to create accounts and play it. As mentioned earlier, fans can choose to play on both PC and mobiles with the same account.

However, the new restrictions will certainly irritate many who belong to the above region.


Blizzard locks Diablo Immortal accounts on PC belonging to Russia and Belarus

Before getting to the reason, it's unclear what the exact extent of the restrictions are. It's certain that the players' ability to play the title on PCs is wholly gone.

Even VPN no longer works. Interestingly, users can access the game from mobile.

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Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, several gaming corporations pulled out of the European giant. This includes hardware and console companies, video game developers, and publishers.

To understand why, readers must go back to the events that took place a few months back.

Diablo Immortal might have only been released in June, but it was decided that the game won't be available in Russia because of geopolitics. Belarusian players also faced this fate for the same reason.

It's unclear when Blizzard might change its stance on the region and allow people access to its titles.

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There's a particular indication that Blizzard's decision was relatively recent, and there could be a change in the future. However, the tweak in the decision doesn't seem to be immediate, which will undoubtedly disappoint the regional gamers.

It's also interesting that Diablo Immortal has Russian as one of the language options.

However, if the local news is accurate, players should be able to play the game on their mobile devices with the help of a VPN. However, it's not confirmed, and there might be a case for it to be entirely restricted in the region soon.

In the meantime, SEA players are still awaiting the game's full release in the region.