Blizzard releases Overwatch loot box probability in China

Loot box drop rates are no longer a mystery for Overwatch players in China. Each Overwatch loot box contains four items—either in-game cosmetic items or in-game currency used to buy cosmetic items. At least one of these items is guaranteed to be an item of rare or higher quality, Blizzard said. On average, every 5.5 loot boxes contains an epic item, while every 13.5 loot boxes contains a legendary item. Roughly, that adds up to a 18.19 percent chance for an epic item, and a 7.4 percent chance of receiving a legendary item. A new Chinese law put into effect on May 1 forced game developers to reveal drop percentages for items handed out in loot boxes. Passed Dec. 5, 2016, the legislation requires developers to display the odds of receiving differently valued items. “Online game publishers shall publicly announce the random draw results by customers on notable places of official website or in game, and keep record for government inquiry,” the regulations state. Related: No, Overwatch loot box drop rates haven’t changed, Blizzard says China is the first country to legislate the sale of loot boxes. Many have labeled loot boxes akin to gambling, with there being a risk of receiving an item worth less than the purchase price. Rules mandating public drop rates are an attempt to protect consumers. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 developer Valve released its Chinese drop rates earlier this week. It’s unclear at this time whether the numbers revealed by Blizzard China are applicable worldwide. Dot Esports has reached out to Blizzard for clarification.