Diablo Immortal has launched slightly ahead of its expected release date in a refreshing move during a time when many games are seeing delays. Fans looking forward to Diablo Immortal were pleasantly surprised today with the chance to play the game early.
Diablo Immortal was revealed at BlizzCon in 2018, initially announced as a mobile game continuing Blizzard Entertainment's iconic Diablo series of action RPGs that began in 1997. With a PC version arriving Thursday, Diablo Immortal will feature crossplay between mobile and PC similar to Blizzard's Hearthstone. It's been over 10 years since Diablo 3 was released, leaving a huge fanbase waiting for the next installment ever since. Over 30 million players had pre-registered to play Diablo Immortal immediately as it became available, making it one of the most anticipated releases of 2022 despite the stigma behind mobile games.
Initially slated to launch on June 2, Diablo Immortal's mobile client has been made available a day early. PC players will still need to wait until tomorrow, although the truly dedicated could use mobile emulators to run the game on their PC early. One of the main reasons Diablo Immortal was delayed was due to the realization that as a strictly mobile game, Blizzard would be leaving behind its dedicated PC community. PC gamers would naturally move to emulators to play Diablo Immortal if they had to, and so the decision was made to develop a dedicated PC version for the best possible experience.
Billed as a "true Diablo experience," the game features multiplayer hub towns, PvP battlegrounds, eight-player raids, and numerous classes such as Barbarian, Crusader, Monk, Necromancer, and Wizard. All of the game's playable content will be free, including future classes, dungeons, and zones added post-launch. Blizzard appears to be dedicated to making sure the game is fun and accessible to everyone while ensuring the game's microtransaction model still has value and utility. A free battle pass is available to aid in progression, and the game's live-service model aims to continually add new content after launch. Another unique feature is that Diablo Immortal will allow players to change classes without losing their progress.
It will take some time for players to decide if the free-to-play model is truly fair, and gamers are naturally skeptical. Games like Diablo Immortal which rely on gear and items while also featuring PvP can easily become corrupted by a pay-to-win microtransaction system. Its loot box system is also a point of contention, blocking Diablo Immortal from releasing in Belgium and the Netherlands due to their respective gambling laws. In the meantime, there is likely to be plenty of free content in Diablo Immortal for players to enjoy before deciding if they plan to open their wallets.
Diablo Immortal is available on Mobile and will be available for PC on June 2.