Immortal Surprise
I’ll never forget those now historic moments from BlizzCon 2018 when fans were in an uproar over the announcement of the next installment of the Diablo franchise announced as a mobile-only title. The world has changed drastically since that time not only inside Blizzard but externally as well. I don’t have to the recap all the changes that have occurred but to highlight the constant shifting of the world and some of our favorite franchises, Blizzard has announced that Diablo Immortal is not only launching for mobile devices on June 2nd but also will enter PC Open Beta on the same day!
I for one am extremely excited because as a whole, I’d rather play Diablo/ARPG games on my PC, not my phone or tablet. That being said, choices never hurt anyone, and having a MMORPG style Diablo game on both my mobile devices and PC with cross-progression and cross-play, I call this a huge step in the right direction for Blizzard and Immortal. Check out the full official press release from Blizzard below.
DIABLO ® IMMORTAL™ UNLEASHES HELL ON MOBILE AND PC ON JUNE 2
Over 30 million players have pre-registered to defend Sanctuary in the newest entry in Blizzard Entertainment‘s iconic Diablo franchise
IRVINE, Calif.—April 25, 2022—The Worldstone is shattered, and it now falls to the heroes of Sanctuary to fend off the terrors rising in its wake. Blizzard Entertainment today announced that beginning June 2, players in most regions across the world will take up the call to defend against the Burning Hells in Diablo® Immortal ™, the first Blizzard game designed from the ground up for mobile, with the remaining regions in Asia-Pacific gaining access a few weeks later.
In addition to offering an uncompromised AAA experience on mobile, the most ambitious game released in the Diablo franchise’s 25-year history will enter into Open Beta on Windows® PC at launch. Diablo Immortal supports both cross-play and cross-progression, allowing Sanctuary’s heroes to join the fight with each other regardless of platform while being able to seamlessly transition between mobile and PC gameplay. The Open Beta on PC will contain all game features, including cross-play and cross-progression, and upon conclusion all progress will be maintained.
“The demons of the Burning Hells are ready to be slain in the most expansive Diablo game that Blizzard has ever released,” said Mike Ybarra, president of Blizzard Entertainment. “As Blizzard’s first game designed from the ground up for mobile, it was important to us to deliver an experience worthy of the franchise, so we did a lot of testing, incorporated a lot of feedback, and created a game that we’re very excited to share with players. We’re looking forward to unleashing this epic new entry in the Diablo franchise, and we can't wait to join everyone in Sanctuary."
With the fate of Sanctuary in their hands, players will choose between six iconic Diablo classes–Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer, or Wizard–and embark on a journey through eight unique zones and the great city of Westmarch. They will join up with new and familiar Diablo characters, including the franchise's patriarch Deckard Cain, on an expansive quest to hunt down the shattered pieces of the corrupted Worldstone before the forces of the Burning Hells can gather them for their own sinister plans in an epic all-new story taking place between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III.
Diablo Immortal features a MMOARPG (massively multiplayer online action-RPG) social experience that’s completely new to the series. Players will share a massive world with others as they explore Sanctuary, form Warbands with up to eight members to take on group challenges such as the intense Helliquary raid bosses, and join Clans with up to 150 friends to earn challenging Clan Achievements.
The game also features a robust faction-based PvP system. With the Cycle of Strife, players can band together to fight in an ongoing war in which the top player of the server will earn the Eternal Crown to become the leader of the Immortals. This puts them in the position of having to continuously defend their reign across a series of modes including brutal 1v30 showdowns.
Diablo Immortal will be free-to-play with optional in-game purchases, ensuring the core game experience will always be free. Developed by Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase, Diablo Immortal will be available at launch on iOS®, Android®, and Windows® PC via Battle.net®. Over 30 million players have already pre-registered across all platforms to gain access as soon as the game launches, preparing themselves for the battles to come. All players will receive the stunning Horadrim Cosmetic Set to celebrate this significant milestone when the game launches.* This is just the beginning, as new content will be released regularly to players for free in the years to come, including new zones, dungeons, and character classes.
Bold adventurers can find more information, as well as pre-register for Diablo Immortal at diabloimmortal.blizzard.com.
*Players must log in to Diablo Immortal and complete the game’s tutorial within 30 days after release to claim the Horadrim Cosmetic Set. Offer can only be claimed for one character per account.
