Blizzard has been fined overDiablo Immortal, but the amount set for the fine turned out to be quite modest compared to the company’s profits.Diablo Immortalis Blizzard’s second major game for mobile devices afterHearthstone.
Diablo Immortalis a free-to-play MMORPG with the same dark fantasy aesthetic and demonic enemies as the other games in the series. Set after the events of theDiablo 2: Lord of Destructionexpansion and before the start ofDiablo 3,Diablo Immortaltakes place after the battle against Baal. Although Baal has been defeated, Archangel Tyrael had no choice but to destroy the Worldstone, corrupted by the Lord of Destruction. Despite the controversies,Diablo Immortal’s launch was positive, with players exploring “dynamic events,” dungeons, and facing a wide variety of monsters.
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PEGI’s Enforcement Committee recently released its decisions related to several cases, and Blizzard was fined €5000 overDiablo Immortal. The fine is due to the company’s failure to disclose the presence of loot boxes inDiablo Immortalwhen the game was submitted for a rating license, which goes against the PEGI Code of Conduct.Diablo Immortal’s polemical microtransactionsaren’t the only big name on the list, however. PEGI also fined Plaion the same amount forHunt: Showdown Bounty Hunter - Limited Edition, for the same reason asDiablo Immortal. In addition to the fine, Blizzard and Plaion have been told to update all marketing materials to inform the presence of loot boxes in both games.
Diablo Immortalmarked the debut of theDiablofranchise on mobile devices, but the game made the headlines for the wrong reasons. InDiablo Immortalplayers found an aggressive monetization system, with some players spending large sums of money to get a single 5-star item. AnotherDiablo Immortalplayer spent over $500,000 to max out a character.Diablo Immortal’s microtransactions became one of thebiggest video game controversies of 2022, with players comparingDiablo ImmortaltoStar Wars Battlefront 2, another game known for having very controversial monetization practices.
Although active and receiving new content, the microtransactions controversy inevitably madeDiablo Immortalone of themost disappointing games of 2022. Despite this, all was not lost, as the experience withDiablo Immortalhas given Blizzard all the directions of what not to do withDiablo 4. One of the most anticipated releases this year, theDiablo 4Shop will focus solely on cosmetic items.
Diablo Immortalis now available to play on Mobile and PC.
