Switch players began flagging Dying Light: Platinum Edition’s unexpected absence from eShop in multiple territories, despite its 19th October release date, over on Reddit. The mystery was eventually solved by an official Techland spokesperson, who explained the issue stems from the fact Nintendo’s European eShop is registered in Germany - a country where Dying Light is unrated and thus prohibited from sale. “Due to nature of content,” Uncy_Techland revealed, “the digital version… is currently banned in Germany where European eShop is officially registered. This is making it impossible to officially distribute the game in European countries and also in Australia and New Zealand.” Uncy_Techland says the developer is “currently working with our partner and local authorities to remove the ban as soon as we can”, although there’s no ETA on that right now. However, those eager to play Dying Light on Switch can still pick up a physical copy - which are unaffected by the issue and remain available for sale outside of Germany - while the digital version can be purchased on Switch’s eShop in the US and Asia. This isn’t, of course, the first time Nintendo users in Europe have been negatively impacted by regulations arising from the location of the company’s digital store. Memorably, and inconveniently, when Wii U launched back in 2012, early adopters across Europe were surprised to discover 18-rated digital content was unavailable for purchase during the daytime due to German laws dictating when adult-rated games could be sold. This particular issue was eventually resolved, however, so hopefully Techland will be able to find a solution for its own eShop woes soon.
