TiMi Studio Group and The Pokémon Company have announced that Pokémon UNITE will be discontinued in Belgium and the Netherlands as of November 30, 2025.
The announcement stated that The Pokémon Company had ceased its activities in these countries for players in both regions. From October 31, 2024, players will not have the opportunity to buy Unite Club memberships or Aeos Gems, marking the end of the game’s availability.
The company gave no specific explanation for this move, but Belgium and the Netherlands have very stringent laws that ban in-game items that resemble gambling.
The use of random elements in events and cosmetic features of Pokémon UNITE would be in violation of these regulations. The game’s business model, which depends on the above elements, seems unviable under the prevailing legal environment in the two countries.
Other games in the Pokémon franchise, including Pokémon Masters EX, have also been banned in Belgium and the Netherlands for similar reasons.
Gamers grapple with limited gameplay options
The players in Belgium and the Netherlands will be allowed to spend the last of their Aeos Gems after the sales close, but they will be unable to buy more items. This greatly reduces the possibilities in the gameplay, and players can only use the free currency for the next update. There has been no official statement regarding refunds or compensation for the people who were impacted.
Belgium banned loot boxes in 2018 and companies such as Blizzard and Nintendo changed or removed games in response. In that year, Belgium’s Justice Minister, Koen Geens, labeled such games as Overwatch and FIFA 18 as “games of chance.” Furthermore, Geens sought to have their revenue model altered in order to safeguard minors.
The Netherlands has also been vocal on the issue, with Dutch politicians demanding that loot boxes be banned. They said that this is due to the risks of addiction and financial damage to families.
However, a study conducted by researcher Leon Y. Xiao stated that Belgium has failed in its attempts to regulate the loot boxes. Xiao stated that such rules could not be easily enforced, and, if strictly applied, they would definitely have an adverse impact on the gaming industry. According to Xiao, while analyzing the loopholes in the country’s law, the ban misled consumers, parents, and policymakers.
