WhileDiablo Immortalmay be rife with controversy, it has still been pretty successful for Blizzard. It was the biggest launch in franchise history and was estimated to be making Blizzard over $1 million a day during the first couple of months. The studio is now gearing up to release the biggestDiablo Immortalupdate yet, but the game may be on borrowed time.
Diablo Immortaland theDiablobrandmay be very successful, but that does not mean its last days are not looming on the horizon. With the release ofDiablo 4,Diablo Immortal’s lifespan is very much in doubt as players flock to the next mainline title. Mobile games seem to die constantly, and Blizzard’s ARPG will likely be no different. While it still has some juice left in it, it may not be enough to keep it alive for much longer.
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Diablo Immortal’s Days Were Numbered from the Start
From the minuteDiablo Immortalwas first announced, the fanbase hated it. It had beensix years since the release ofDiablo 3, and fans longed for a return to the classicDiabloexperience. Instead, Blizzard chose to announce the game’s first mobile title at BlizzCon 2018. This announcement was mishandled and is still being mocked and criticized in 2023 with the infamous “Do you guys not have phones?” meme.
The announcement ofDiablo Immortaldid not go over well, and the game’s release proved many doubters right. Players soon discovered that if they wanted to fully gear up their character then they would have tospend over $100,000 to do so. These microtransactions were core parts of the gameplay loop, and they would constantly push players to the store. WhileDiablo Immortalmay have felt like a mobile version ofDiablo 3, these transactions were the final nail in the coffin for many.
Even withall ofDiablo Immortal’s controversy, the game was still a success for Blizzard. It would amass over 10 million downloads within the first week, and 30 million by the end of the second month. It would also go on to surpass $100 million in revenue within the first eight weeks and 50 percent of players were brand-new to the Blizzard ecosystem. While that player count has likely dropped since, the game is still going strong with a large-scale update on the horizon.
It may have been successful, butDiablo Immortal’s last days are closer than some realize. For starters,the long-awaitedDiablo 4is finally here. This is the next mainline title in the series, andDiablofans have flocked to it. It is a fantastic return to form for the franchise, does not have pay-to-win microtransactions, and is just a ton of fun to play. It made $666 million in its first five days and has gone on to become the fastest-selling game in Blizzard’s history. It has been a massive success so far and will only continue to grow as more content gets added
Diablo 4has likely pulled manyDiablo Immortalplayers over, but one of the biggest reasons that the game’s days are numbered is thecurrent relationship between NetEase and Blizzard. NetEase helped develop the title, but the two companies have recently had a major falling out. Blizzard’s licensing agreement with NetEase has expired, and the studio was forced to suspend its mainland China operations. This means thatWorld of Warcraft,Hearthstone, andOverwatchare no longer playable in China. The only thing that is not affected isDiablo Immortalbecause that is under a separate agreement.
NetEase filed a $45 million lawsuit against Blizzard in April over these suspended servicesand its employees filmed themselvesdestroying aWorld of Warcraftstatue. This will only worsen the relationship between the two studios and could very well put an end toDiablo Immortal. Unless something drastically changes in the next couple of years, NetEase and Blizzard may eventually part ways andDiablo Immortalwill become a distant memory.
Diablo Immortalis available now on mobile and PC.
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