Diablo Immortal marks the franchise’s foray into the world of mobile gaming, but some longtime fans of the series have been put off by the game’s monetization.
Diablo Immortal’s announcement at Blizzcon 2018 was mired in controversy, as the mobile direction of the game upended the expectations of fans in attendance. Since then, the game has earned some good will during its development from fans waiting for any another game release from Blizzard. That being said, the degree to which Diablo Immortal pushes monetization does have some fans taking to social media to voice their discontent.
folks referring to diablo immortal model as microtransaction based are delusional. there is nothing micro about those transactions.
— chasing the dopamine (@randileeharper) June 2, 2022
Thus far, the overall reception of Diablo Immortal has been characteristically divisive. At the time of publication, the game boasts a 4.8/5 on Google Play and 4.4/5 on the App Store. Its score on review amalgamation site metacritic.com sits at an 81, but a quick search for the game on Twitter shows a hefty amount of criticism as well.
Most of the online backlash is directed not at the gameplay, but Diablo Immortal’s microtransactions. The game rarely passes on opportunities to present the player with an option to purchase something with real money. This “pay to win” model is not uncommon in mobile gaming, which is constantly growing to account for more and more of the gaming industry’s overall revenue.
RE Diablo Immortal monetisation.
Blizzard should be utterly ashamed of themselves. It is disgusting and shouldn’t carry the company name.
— Michael (@BellularGaming) June 2, 2022
As far as Diablo Immortal’s gameplay goes, many fans were impressed that it maintains the Diablo atmosphere, even though some said it has a more “arcade-y” style. Once again, it is the mobile element drawing the most ire among online fans, many of whom were hoping Immortal would be a full-fledged PC title.
Popular Twitch streamer Asmongold is among the content creators that have decided to delve into the game, leaning into the game’s monetization by playing through the game as a “whale,” a person who spends a lot of money on in-game microtransactions. He currently has a “Money Spent” counter to keep track of how much he has paid on his stream (at the time of publication, the counter is sitting at $347).
Reactions to Diablo Immortal are still coming in, and most of the online discourse is still early thoughts as fans are playing through the game for the first time. It is entirely possible that opinions over the game will continue to shift as time progresses.
