Blizzard promise changes to controversial Diablo Immortal microtransactions

Blizzard’s beta for their upcoming mobile dungeon crawler Diablo Immortal has ended, and the devs are looking to squash concerns over some of the more controversial microtransactions. 

While Diablo 4 lurks in the shadows waiting to rear its head, Blizzard have been very vocal about the franchise’s first-ever mobile title, Diablo Immortal.

Following yet another closed beta which began back in October, 2021, Blizzard have finally sealed the gates of hell once again. Promising a series of amendments following player feedback, one of the most important revolves around microtransactions  – a controversial topic in the gaming universe.

Fans have already expressed concerns that the game will be pay to win, but Blizzard have been quick to put players’ fears to rest.

Blizzard address Diablo Immortal pay to win concerns

While most players found the battle pass to be a worthwhile buy, other items such as the Boon of Plenty and Legendary Gems didn’t get the same seal of approval.

• Read More: Diablo 2 Resurrected gems guide

“Our goal has always been to keep Diablo’s core gameplay, killing demons and getting gear, accessible to all regardless of whether players opt to engage with in-game purchases or not,” they write in a February 23 blog post. “Purchases in our game are completely optional and should not detract from your gameplay experience.

“We’re pleased that the Battle Pass is resonating well and many of you are finding the purchase to be a good value. However, we saw that the Boon of Plenty was not as well-received. We’re evaluating ways to improve the Boon of Plenty so it feels more valuable and worthwhile.”

The most controversial items are the Legendary Gems, which are powerful slottable items that, once crafted using the runes, Platinum, and gem required, grant players unique boosts. Many of these require you to spend real money in the store, and considering the Gems are character bound that can eventually become a lot of money.

“Lastly, we saw much frustration around Legendary Gems and their impact on alt-play in the Closed Beta. Reading your feedback, this system felt like it forced many of you to be committed to a single character, rather than splitting your focus across multiple characters. We are working on a solution for this concern, and it will be the focus of a future blog post.”

As we draw ever closer to the latest battle in Sanctuary’s bloody history, it’ll be interesting to see how Blizzard sate fan woes over in-game purchases. Until then, though, we’ll need to keep our eyes on the horizon for more information about the elusive mobile title.