Blizzcon 2018 is finally here, and perhaps the most anticipated announcement gamers had been looking forward to was the newest project out of the Diablo team. Before the show, rumors went rampant throughout the Blizzard fandom, with many speculating the inevitable reveal of Diablo 4 or a remastered version of Diablo II. To everyone’s surprise, and to most people’s disappointment, the brand-new action RPG announced by the company turned out to be a mobile game, Diablo Immortal.
Exclusive to Android and iOS, the game is touted by Blizzard as a full-fledged Diablo RPG experience built to be played on the go. Dubbed a Mobile MMORPG, Diablo Immortal fills in the gaps of the Diablo lore between the second and third entries, and contains an all new story canonical to the main series. The mobile title is a “persistent, always-online adventure”, no doubt referring to the MMO aspect of the project; this allows players to join up with other players seamlessly worldwide.
According to the official Diablo Immortal website, the game will offer a wide variety of levels and dungeons to go through, as well as designated social hubs. Grouping up as a party is facilitated by a drop-in, drop-out mechanic, and dynamic events will ensure that the multiplayer aspect of the MMO will never grow stale. Throughout the players’ journey, they will meet familiar faces from the franchise as well as new enemies designed just for the game. The six classes that are in Diablo III have also returned as well. In terms of controls, Blizzard has stated that the game was built from the ground up with touchscreen controls in mind, so it should theoretically be intuitive and accurate.
While this is a far cry from what fans were expecting, judgment should be reserved until the game actually comes out, as Blizzard and collaborating partner Netease Games might surprise people yet with a robust, portable Diablo experience. Although, this does seem like a rather anticlimactic end to the hype built up by the Nintendo Switch edition of Diablo III and the reveal of an exclusive amiibo. Perhaps it was smart move by Blizzard to temper expectations with a pre-announcement after all.
There is no release date for Diablo Immortal yet, but pre-registered players can get exclusive access to future betas as well as rewards.