Following the recently passed UK Online Safety Act, Blizzard has implemented age verification for Battle.net accounts in the UK, joining platforms like Discord, PlayStation Network, and Roblox in complying with the new regulations.

According to a Battle.net support article, unverified accounts will have limited access to features such as voice chat, text chat, and any social interactions with people other than friends until verification is completed. Users who do not verify their age as above 18 will lose access to social interactions and age-restricted content across all Blizzard games including World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, StarCraft, and Call of Duty titles.

Blizzard offers three verification options: government-issued ID (passport, driver's license, or national ID card), credit card check with a temporary £0.30 charge, or mobile provider verification. The company assures users that information is not stored—images are encrypted and deleted after verification, and mobile and credit card details are not retained beyond the initial check.

This requirement currently applies only to UK users, but similar laws have been proposed in numerous other countries, suggesting similar practices may expand to other regions soon.