U.K. won't ban video game loot boxes following 2-year inquiry

Legislators around the world have become increasingly concerned with loot boxes, particularly in titles popular with children. In video games, loot boxes are capsules of random virtual items that can be purchased with real money, in-game currency or a combination of the two. The rewards obtained by opening a loot box can range from purely cosmetic items (as is the case for "Overwatch" loot boxes) to rewards that enhance a player's power in-game, a model decried as pay-to-win by many gamers. The implementation of loot boxes in 2017′s "Star Wars Battlefront II," which resulted in a massive public outcry, was a disastrous cautionary tale for publishers pursuing the latter route.