Diablo Immortal Rakes in Profits Despite Backlash

Is it a sign or a facade of success?

Diablo Immortal launched to immediate backlash due to its predatory use of microtransactions. Where other games would make players buy cosmetics that only enhance their character’s appearance, Diablo Immortal makes players pay for Legendary Gems. Those are Diablo Immortal items that are necessary for the continued growth of the player character, so they can clear endgame content.

Free-to-play players only have three chances of rolling for Legendary Gems. Once a month, they can get a Legendary Crest, and every day, they can get two Rare Crests. So that’s a once-a-month guaranteed legendary and several days of trying their luck with rare chests. 

That system forces players to pay for Legendary Crests or Eternal Orbs to increase the chances of getting these coveted gems. It’s what annoys the players so much about the game.

It’s Not All Doom and Gloom, Though

There are other microtransactions present in the game. Players can buy Eternal Orbs with real money, which lets them exchange the currency for Diablo Immortal Platinum. A battle pass also exists for the game, with paying users having more rewards than the free ones. There’s an option to buy skins as well.

These are the likely sources for Diablo Immortal’s current success. They’re the ‘safe’ microtransactions nobody has any problem with. It helps that these items are available and helpful at any stage in the game.

However, it doesn’t deny the fact that the primary source of revenue for the game should be the Legendary Crests.

Why Is It Such a Problem Anyway?

The problem is giving an unfair advantage to those who pay over those who don’t. Anyone who pays for the Legendary Crests has more chances of getting the gem they need. That also means they progress through the endgame faster than free-to-play players.

Since the game has a PvP aspect, any player who gets their legendary and best gear faster than the others can beat up on those who are slower to upgrade their characters. This creates an imbalance, and free players can’t quite catch up to those who pay.

This makes the game’ pay-to-win.’ Paying players are always at an advantage over free-to-play ones. They always have the better gear and items, while F2P players take the long road to progress.

So, Where is the Revenue Coming From?

As mentioned above, it could be from the other microtransactions. Players still need Eternal Orbs to get more Diablo ImmortalPlatinum, or they want the rewards from the battle pass. The skins are also an attractive option, as it’s an excellent avenue for players to express themselves through their character. It’s one of the reasons why other games such as Overwatch and other social simulators are popular.

Also, even though the players disagree with the method, they could still be paying for the Legendary Gems they want. The game pushes you to do so anyway, and there’s no use resisting. It would just lead to feeling like the game is a chore and the grind is hopeless.

Diablo Immortal Has Revenue Though Blizzard’s Saying Players Aren’t Spending Money

The way Diablo Immortal is structured puts the need for microtransactions near the end of the game rather than the beginning. If players only care about the campaign, they don’t have to wrestle with the RNG for better equipment and gems. They can play only the first 30 hours and then not care about PvP or the endgame content.

It’s easy to think that’s why Blizzard feels players aren’t spending so much money. Then again, that’s by their design. The developers wanted to provide a free game where players could do 99% of the game for free. That leaves the 1% for paid content, which is fair for a free-to-play app.

So, despite the pay-to-win allegations and nearly predatory monetization, Diablo Immortal has high reviews in both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The game is praised and well-received. Game journalists just exaggerated the worst aspects.

Those aspects are found near the end of the campaign and aren’t really applicable to players who don’t care about leaderboards. Plus, there’s always the option to ignore microtransactions and do everything ‘the hard way.’

All that doesn’t discount the fact that there are players who like spending on microtransactions. Whether they want the currency, legendary stuff, or battle pass rewards, these players give life to the game. Due to the cutthroat nature of the business side of gaming, once the app loses revenue, Blizzard would cut its service short.

Fans have to be thankful for those who support the game cause otherwise, it’s going to have a short life. Still, players hate inequality, and that’s a massive part of making the game a business instead of something to enjoy.

You Can Still Enjoy Diablo Immortal Without Shelling Out Cash

As mentioned above, 99% of the game is free, which means you can do most of the content in the game for free. Most of the microtransactions are boosts and ease the grind on players. However, some like the grind, so they’d rather not spend anything, and that’s okay. Others would like the convenience, so they pay up and get boosts and more opportunities for farming Diablo Immortal items and earning currency.

Enjoyment of the game is the primary concern of players, and the game does deliver on that. Depending on player feedback and how Blizzard wants the game to grow, there’s still time for adjustments and change.

Have fun playing Diablo Immortal!