Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo Immortal is out on June 2nd for iOS, Android and PC with the pre-load currently live on Battle.net. As a free-to-play title, it offers all kinds of microtransactions from different materials to cosmetics and a Battle Pass (though there is a free track as well).
Of course, there have been concerns with the monetization, especially following the closed beta. One example is Legendary Crests, which can be purchased to guarantee Legendary Gem drops from Elder Rifts. Given the drop rate of Legendary Crests and how 5 star Legendary Gems can only be obtained by using them, this has players concerned.
In a recent conversation with GameSpot, senior game designer Scott Burgess addresses pay-to-win concerns (but not the point about Legendary Crests that was posed). “Going back, I played the beta without spending a dollar. There were a few of us on the team that did that because we wanted to see what the experience was like. And I will say that I was in a top Dark House in the Shadows, I kept up with World Paragon, I was competitive in PvP, I would often get the MVP ranking.
“So we’re doing things to make sure the game is fun for everyone. Anytime we have a purchase, we want to make sure it’s a good value. That’s kind of the goal we have on that side.”
Whether this works out in practice, especially given how systems like Awakening and Resonance further encourage spending money to obtain Legendary Gems, remains to be seen. As such, its monetization (specifically the implementation of loot boxes) is reportedly the reason why it won’t be released in Belgium and the Netherlands.
For more details on Diablo Immortal, check out our feature here which covers all of the different Classes, various end-game content and much more.