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Technology

New $100 Diablo IV ‘Collector’s Box’ Doesn’t Include Game

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Image: Blizzard / Kotaku

Blizzard is now taking pre-orders on a large, nearly $100 special Diablo IV collector’s box which includes many things. But it doesn’t include the game. And while Blizzard isn’t trying to trick people into accidentally buying this game-free box, it still seems very odd that there’s not even an option to get the game with this pricey package of demonic goodies.

Expensive collector’s editions of video games and movies have become more and more popular over the last decade. Personally, I never felt the need for all the random gubbins and statues usually included in these pricey bundles, but I get it. Some folks just really love to collect everything involving their favorite franchise or series. Whatever floats your boat! Just don’t get confused and think this $100 Diablo IV Collector’s Box actually includes the game it’s named after!

This week, Blizzard started taking pre-orders on something it’s calling the Diablo IV Limited Collector’s Box over on its merch store. This large, spiffy-looking box will cost you a cool $96.66 (I see what you did there…) and includes all of these items:

  • Occult Mousepad
  • Cloth Map of Sanctuary
  • Pin of the Horadrim
  • Diablo IV Collector’s Edition Art Book
  • Matted Fine Art Prints (x2) – 18.54″ x 10.79″

That’s very nice and all, but you’ll notice that the game isn’t part of this pricey bundle. Now, Blizzard isn’t trying to deceive anyone. It’s clear in the store description that this box doesn’t contain the game. It also isn’t selling the box on Battle.net but instead on its merch site, further separating it from its video game store. So I’m not trying to imply that Blizzard is trying to pull a fast one and trick diehard Diablo players into forking over $100 for something that doesn’t include the upcoming ARPG. I’m just saying it’s a bit odd, is all!

I guess for folks who prefer buying a digital copy of the game via a third-party site or who might want to provide a physical gift to someone who might already have the game pre-ordered, this is a nice idea. But why not have a different version that is $60-70 more and includes a code for the game? Or even a discount on it! Though that kind of stuff might make things more confusing.

Anyway, Diabo IV comes out June 6, 2023 on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC. If you want it, don’t buy this box. Or do, but then also buy the game separately.

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Technology

New $100 Diablo IV ‘Collector’s Box’ Doesn’t Include Game

Leave a comment

Image: Blizzard / Kotaku

Blizzard is now taking pre-orders on a large, nearly $100 special Diablo IV collector’s box which includes many things. But it doesn’t include the game. And while Blizzard isn’t trying to trick people into accidentally buying this game-free box, it still seems very odd that there’s not even an option to get the game with this pricey package of demonic goodies.

Expensive collector’s editions of video games and movies have become more and more popular over the last decade. Personally, I never felt the need for all the random gubbins and statues usually included in these pricey bundles, but I get it. Some folks just really love to collect everything involving their favorite franchise or series. Whatever floats your boat! Just don’t get confused and think this $100 Diablo IV Collector’s Box actually includes the game it’s named after!

This week, Blizzard started taking pre-orders on something it’s calling the Diablo IV Limited Collector’s Box over on its merch store. This large, spiffy-looking box will cost you a cool $96.66 (I see what you did there…) and includes all of these items:

  • Occult Mousepad
  • Cloth Map of Sanctuary
  • Pin of the Horadrim
  • Diablo IV Collector’s Edition Art Book
  • Matted Fine Art Prints (x2) – 18.54″ x 10.79″

That’s very nice and all, but you’ll notice that the game isn’t part of this pricey bundle. Now, Blizzard isn’t trying to deceive anyone. It’s clear in the store description that this box doesn’t contain the game. It also isn’t selling the box on Battle.net but instead on its merch site, further separating it from its video game store. So I’m not trying to imply that Blizzard is trying to pull a fast one and trick diehard Diablo players into forking over $100 for something that doesn’t include the upcoming ARPG. I’m just saying it’s a bit odd, is all!

I guess for folks who prefer buying a digital copy of the game via a third-party site or who might want to provide a physical gift to someone who might already have the game pre-ordered, this is a nice idea. But why not have a different version that is $60-70 more and includes a code for the game? Or even a discount on it! Though that kind of stuff might make things more confusing.

Anyway, Diabo IV comes out June 6, 2023 on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC. If you want it, don’t buy this box. Or do, but then also buy the game separately.

Read original article here

Technology

Blizzard Legend Chris Metzen Returns To Company After Six Years

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Photo: Bloomberg (Getty Images)

Blizzard in 2022 is a vastly different company to the one so many became fans of in the 1990s and 2000s, partly because it is now owned by Activision, but mostly because that was a long time ago and most of the people who made the games you love have left!

Well, except for one. Chris Metzen, a key figure in Blizzard’s rise during that time period and a man with a wild resume of work for the studio (he’s been an artist, writer, designer, creative director and even long-running voice actor on Diablo, StarCraft, WarCraft, WoW and Overwatch, ), has just announced that he’s returning, six years after he departed.

As we reported at the time, Metzen left during a tumultuous time not just for the studio—amid the cancellation of Titan and the release of Overwatch—but in his personal life as well, having just become a father and experiencing some serious health issues:

After Titan’s cancellation, Metzen fell in with the Overwatch project. It was, in his words, “one last charge at the wall.” He helped rally morale and push the game through to completion. And it is a god damned excellent game.

In the process, though, Metzen suffered from nonstop anxiety. During movies with his wife, he’d experience what he’d later learn were panic attacks. He felt like his lungs would stop, but when he consulted doctors, nothing was wrong with him. It was the beginning of 2016, and with the upcoming release of World of Warcraft’s Legion, Overwatch, its animated shorts, the Blizzard movies and, also, a new baby, Metzen was crushed under the pressure to do it all.

“I need a change in my life,” Metzen said.

Blizzard announced his return this morning:

CITIZENS OF AZEROTH,

It is with great joy that I announce CHRIS METZEN has joined the Warcraft Leadership Team as Creative Advisor. Chris’s focus initially will be on World of Warcraft, then his work will expand to other projects across this growing franchise.

Chris was one of the original team members working on the W Warcraft universe back when it began in 1994, and we are so happy to be reuniting him with the world he helped create.

John Hight

General Manager, Warcraft

That job title, “creative advisor”, could mean anything, but the fact Hight adds “his work will expand to other projects across this growing franchise” suggests it’s just a way to ease him back into the studio before setting him loose on more stuff.

You can, and really should, check out Metzen’s full list of contributions to Blizzard games over the years for a fuller understanding of why fans are so happy at this news.

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Technology

New Overwatch 2 Heroes Will Be Easier To Unlock For Free

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Image: Blizzard / Kotaku / Pablo Wilson (Shutterstock)

Free-to-play shooter Overwatch 2 is launching Season 2 tomorrow and with it a brand new tank character, Ramattra. And like last time, you can either buy the premium battle pass to unlock the new hero instantly or you can grind the free path to eventually gain access to him. But this time, following complaints from players, Blizzard is making that second option easier.

Released earlier this fall, Blizzard’s hero-based competitive shooter hasn’t had a great first few months. Between server issues, bugs, characters being removed from the game, pricey skins, and issues with crossplay and support mains, well it’s been a giant mess.

One of the most controversial issues involved Kiriko, a new support character added in the game’s first season. If you bought the battle pass, you got the new hero instantly. However, for players who didn’t buy the pass, you’d have to grind to level 55 to unlock her. Considering how much of a slog it was to level up the battle pass, not many were happy about this. Leveling up the pass took a long time, and involved playing a lot of matches and completing boring or specific challenges—like pin five enemies with Orisa’s spear—that didn’t pay out much XP. Now, ahead of Season 2’s launch tomorrow, Blizzard is promising an easier path to unlocking its new tank for free.

Blizzard

On Twitter, Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller tweeted that Blizzard had reviewed data from Season 1 and decided to move Ramattra from tier 55 to tier 45 in the battle pass. And some challenges will be made “easier” to complete.

“Hey, all! Quick update on some changes coming to Season 2,” said Keller. “After reviewing data for Season 1, we’re moving Ramattra into Tier 45 of the Battle Pass and making a few more weekly challenges easier to complete. Excited for you all to see everything new in Season 2 starting tomorrow!”

This is part of Blizzard’s ongoing efforts to make progression in the shooter “more rewarding.” Of course on Twitter, players were mixed. While many seemed happy about the change, others were still upset that the hero was locked behind such a high tier of the pass, suggesting a lower tier would be better.

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Now, it should be noted that unlike in the original Overwatch—which added all characters for free for all players with no restrictions—Ramattra will still be locked behind a paywall unless you grind. But at least now the grind will be less terrible and once you hit 45 you can stop focusing on challenges and the battle pass and just enjoy your new character. Well, unless Blizzard removes him like Mei or Bastion for a few weeks.



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Technology

Blizzard Hears Fans On Overwatch 2 Battle Pass Complaints Slug

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Image: Blizzard

One of the most contentious things about Overwatch 2 has been the beloved hero shooter’s shift from paid game to free-to-play download supported by grindy battle passes. Blizzard now says it wants to address those concerns moving forward, ironing out the game’s progression in future seasons so that players feel “more rewarded just for sitting down and playing.”

“For Season 3 and beyond, we’re looking at a mix of Battle Pass changes, more interesting Challenges to pursue, and more exciting play-focused progression systems for you all to dig into. We’ll be able to talk about some of these changes soon, but other changes may take more time to lock-in,” recently hired executive producer, Jared Neuss, wrote in a new update.

In the meantime, Season 2, which starts on December 6 and adds Ramattra, will see each new dedicated event introduce its own unique skin that can be unlocked just by playing. Twitch drops, which give players access to new cosmetics by watching their favorite Overwatch 2 streamers, will continue as well. I don’t think this will satisfy the game’s most vocal critics immediately, but it’s at least an acknowledgement that the status quo isn’t sustainable.

Read More: 7 Tips For Overwatch 2 Beginners Determined To Win

Since the game launched, players have been frustrated by new heroes being locked behind the paid battle pass, the length of time it takes to rank it up, and the high prices of all the skins. The current state of affairs has even had some players pining for the loot boxes from the first game. And all of this has only been compounded by broken characters, delayed patches, and random bugs like a recent glitch that kept some players unable to progress in ranked play.

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For now, Blizzard is working on awarding support players more XP to incentivize them to pick that role and help alleviate queue times. Overwatch 2 is also currently handing out Sojourn, Junker Queen, and Kiriko highlight intros for those who log in during certain time periods over the next week. Blizzard has even turned on crossplay aim assist for console players in all modes except competitive because the alternative was a “bad experience.”

“Players who’ve stuck with us, players who’ve returned, and players who are just now jumping in the fun—thank you for playing Overwatch 2,” Neuss wrote today. “We have an incredible community, and I hope that by opening up about what we’re thinking more, we can keep growing together.”

     

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Technology

Server Errors Plague Overwatch 2 Players During Halloween Event

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I’m sorry, player, I’m afraid I can’t let you play this game.
Image: Blizzard / Kotaku

Right now there’s a Halloween event running for Overwatch 2, but a fair amount of players are facing a different kind of terror: A previously known server error with the code “LC-208” appears to be disproportiantely hitting players after the most recent update.

While server and connection errors often happen for online games, “Overwatch 2 Console Error LC-208” is currently plaguing a large number of players on console, preventing them from connecting to servers and playing the game. Blizzard has its own steps for working around this issue, as it’s been around since the launch of the game, though not in such numbers. Until Blizzard issues a broader statement or additional fix, players have been discovering quirky, unexplainable ways to fix it, involving signing in on PC first or loading into the game’s firing range and quitting before hitting matchmaking, though these aren’t necessarily bullet-proof prescriptions.

Kotaku has reached out to Blizzard for comment but didn’t hear back prior to publication.

Since yesterday’s Halloween update, search results on Twitter, Reddit, and even Overwatch 2’s own forums have started turning up countless reports of players not being able to enter the game. The problem, given the error code’s info, seems to hit console players only. Anecdotally it seems to be hitting PS4 and PS5 players the most, though many Xbox players are reportedly facing the error as well.

A main thread for the LC-208 issue in Blizzard’s official forums, with nearly 300 replies and over 2,500 views, starts with “LC-208’d after the Halloween event update. Never had an issue with this before. Can’t get into the game.” “I tried everything to fix the Login Error LC-208” Twitter user Phish (no, not the band) says. “I have signed out of my battle net account, restarted my [router], restarted my game, used a different wireless connection, tried using ethernet, and redownloaded the game and I am still getting LC-208.”

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They’re not alone, as countless tweets and Reddit threads read similarly. Some have found non-optimal workarounds. Twitter user hatsune niiku reports bypassing the LC-208 error on console by entering the game’s firing range on PC, closing the game, and then logging in on console. “Worked for me just now,” they say.

Sadly, not everyone has a gaming PC at the ready to try this out, nor is it an actual fix for the problem. Blizzard recommends the following steps for solving LC-208 error. Hopefully it will work out for you:

If your console account is linked with your Battle.net account, you need to have a BattleTag. If you have a BattleTag but your accounts are not linked, follow the connection steps linked below to resolve the error.

Note: If your Battle.net account is connected to your console account, disconnecting it and reconnecting can resolve the error.

1. Check your network configuration to find any issues with your firewall, router, or port settings.

2. Reset your network devices to make sure your router hasn’t become flooded with data.

3. If you’re using a wireless connection, optimize your internet connection to rule out a connection issue.

4. Run your console’s built-in connection test (Playstation 4) (Xbox One) (Nintendo Switch).

5. Use your console’s internet browser to run a Looking Glass test. This will help determine if the problem is between your console and our servers.



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Technology

Overwatch 2 Chat Bug Is Randomly Buying Skins From The Shop

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Image: Blizzard

Though Overwatch 2’s wait times have seemingly improved after maintenance on the game’s servers last night, you still might want to wait a bit if you’re looking for an entirely bug-free experience—especially if you don’t like bugs that might be spending premium currency on hero skins without your consent while using the in-game chat.

Though it’s not clear how common the issue is, it seems to have been hitting users since launch, if not earlier. The underlying issue appears to be that, while using the chat in a menu, the game keystrokes are still registered by the other menu options, meaning you could navigate your way to the store and end up buying a skin while you’re text chatting with friends. Posts about this on the game’s Bug Report forum go back to May, calling attention to it during the beta. Other posts have gone up since the game’s official release, and a rising post on Reddit is seeing others chime in with tales of their accounts also inadvertently buying premium hero skins.

Approaching 1,000 upvotes on Reddit, user Dracyoshi’s post lays out the issue directly. “I was chatting with some friends while browsing the hero gallery when the game unexpectedly began unlocking Junker Queen’s Plutonium skin,” they said. They go on to speculate that text typed into the chat is “occasionally misinterpreted by the game [as] an input for navigating the menu.”

Though they followed up with Blizzard support on the issue, there’s no indication that refunds or changes are on the way. Dracyoshi told Kotaku that, since posting, Blizzard still hasn’t resolved the issue and maintains that it won’t issue refunds for purchases made with in-game currency as far as this case is concerned.

Scrolling through the thread on Dracyoshi’s post reveals other players echoing the same issue. “My friend was a victim of this bug,” reads one comment, “accidentally purchased Kirkos legendary for 1900 credits while trying to chat.” “Oh my god this happened to me twice,” reads another, “I thought I was going crazy.”

For now, it seems like best practice is to follow Dracyoshi’s advice and not “use the in-game chat while in the hero gallery until it’s fixed.”

Kotaku has reached out to Blizzard for comment.

 

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Technology

45 Minutes Of New Gameplay Footage

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A screenshot from the leaked footage, showing a battle against a Hellcaller Nangari Oracle, that unfairly blurs the crisp textures from the game due to awful video quality.
Screenshot: Activision Blizzard

It was quite the weekend for major game leaks. As well as the first ever footage from a very unfinished GTA 6 being plastered all across the internet midway through September, Sunday the 18th also saw a full 43 minutes of the unfinished Diablo IV get uploaded. Footage from the ongoing friends and family alpha test previously appeared last month, but not anything this comprehensive.

This is an odd one, honestly. It’s footage, as revealed on Reddit, of exactly what you’d expect Diablo IV to look like. It’s in ultra-wide, with a very neat, minimized UI in the bottom center, and a compact map and quest list top right. And then the rest of the screen is a character running around in the dark.

It’s definitely not helped that the screen is almost more watermark than footage, but behind all that you can make out some brand new features that look pretty neat, with a Barbarian character showing off some hefty attacks. There’s climbing, there’s jumping across gaps, and there’s loads more detail in the textures that are in place. It looks like exactly what anyone would want: More Diablo.

A much more representatively crisp moment from the game, but so dark it’s hard to make much out.
Screenshot: Activision Blizzard

I do find it funny that features like climbing or jumping really stand out as I watch the footage. It’s completely daft that such staples of gaming feel like special new additions, but this is a series for which change is incremental and glacial. And, if such changes concern you (as they ought—we surely don’t want Diablo becoming a third-person action game), be assuaged by learning that they look like just more interesting ways to go up and down stairs, or move about a level. You’re not timing jumps, just pressing a button when next to a gap.

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But, crucially, it shows a game with a lot more verticality than we’ve seen from the series before. Caves feel far more three-dimensional, not restricted to ‘levels’ when going up and down. Combined with what we saw in August of the character creator and class information, honestly, this leak almost acts like an unofficial marketing campaign for an impressive-looking game.

Just as with GTA 6, it’s a fascinating insight into an in-development build. However, this is certainly a lot later in development, the game due at some point next year. It’s rather charming to see the bright green boardwalks and hear it played with stilted AI voiceover placeholder dialogue, though. The worst aspect about this leak is how poor the streaming quality is.

The footage shows a lot of placeholder textures, but also gives a good idea of the current UI.
Screenshot: Activision Blizzard

There are some mission spoilers in there, which I won’t share because it benefits precisely no one. It’s worth noting, however, that rather strangely Activision Blizzard has yet to have the original leak’s files taken down. Perhaps, unlike Take-Two, they recognize the incredible free publicity such leaks offer, despite frustrating their marketing plans…No, I’m joking.

It’s a spectacularly stupid leak, as it happens. Whoever decided to stream this to chums (presumably on Discord, given the constant blee-bloops throughout) didn’t carefully vet whoever was watching, and did so playing a heavily watermarked build covered with “PRIVATE TEST BUILD” and then a unique number. Which is to say, just like last time, there won’t be any mystery for Blizzard about who is responsible.

Read More: Diablo IV Starts Leaking, And The People Doing It Are Plastered All Over It

The larger problem, presumably, is how it can effectively run a private alpha test if leaks like this are to be so prolific and extensive. These are very different times in which to be making a video game, compared even to 2012’s Diablo III. It’ll be very interesting to see how developers respond with future alpha/beta tests.

 

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Technology

Fan Spends Six Years Remaking Never-Released Warcraft Game

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Gif: Blizzard / DerSilver83 / Kotaku

Years ago, a never-officially-released Warcraft point-and-click adventure game developed by Blizzard in the late ‘90s was leaked online. While the game was completely playable back then, its cutscenes were low-quality, highly compressed, not perfectly synced to the audio, and a few were even just straight up missing from the leak. Now, after years of working on it, someone has remastered all the cutscenes, fixed them up, and made it easier to experience this bit of video game history.

As spotted by Indie Retro News and PC Gamer, modder DerSilver83 recently released the finished 1.0 release of WACRP (Warcraft Adventures Cutscenes Remastered Project). The mod contains 20 completely remastered cutscenes, including two which didn’t actually exist in the initial leak but appeared later on via a different DVD leak.

You can see an example of what this mod and its improved cutscenes look like in the video below:

DerSilver83 / Blizzard

A lot of work went into this release, according to the modder and the project’s website. Apparently, DerSilver83 hand-removed all the compression artifacts from all of the cutscenes. The modder also used Photoshop to painstakingly redraw entire frames and assets, frame-by-frame. Continuity issues have also been fixed and some new transitional scenes have been created entirely from scratch. All audio was also synced and everything now runs at the correct 12fps.

All told, DerSilver83 says they have been working on this mod for about six years, and this latest 1.0 release represents the end of the project. They explained in a post on July 31 that they have done all they can in what they call a “reasonable timeframe” and are happy with the end results.

“I want to remember this project as something fun before it transforms into some kind of a burden,” said DerSilver83 on the project’s site. “So this is it. The final release of my Cutscenes Remaster Project and I hope everybody who uses it can enjoy it as much as I do. I always wanted to create a substantial mod for a game I love and I can finally say that I have achieved (or at least tried) that.”

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To actually play this, you’ll need to do some searching around the internet to find the appropriate files needed to play the full game, as this mod only contains the remastered cutscenes and nothing else.

In the meantime, you can read more about Warcraft: Lord of The Clans via this great story from our own Luke Plunkett.

 

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Technology

Blizzard Defends Diablo Immortal’s Microtransactions

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Blizzard’s controversial Diablo Immortal launched to big numbers and high revenue. It also set off an ongoing debate about in-game purchases, digital gambling, free-to-play mobile games, and addiction. The massive publisher has mostly remained silent amid the negative headlines and criticism. But in a new interview, Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra has defended the game’s launch and its controversial monetization, citing high app store reviews to claim that most players enjoy the game.

In yesterday’s wide-ranging interview with the LA Times, Blizzard President Mike Ybarra talked about numerous topics, including the many issues Blizzard faces as it navigates the fallout from last year’s explosive lawsuit by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the ensuing flood of harassment and discrimination lawsuits directed at Activision Blizzard.

He also talked about the company’s most recent game, the mobile free-to-play action-RPG spin-off Diablo Immortal. While many have criticized the game’s in-app purchases, low drop rates, and possibly exploitative mechanics, Ybarra defended the game, saying Blizzard built it so players could “literally do 99.5% of everything in the game” for free while still getting a full “Diablo experience.”

“The monetization comes in at the end game,” Ybarra told the outlet. “The philosophy was always to lead with great gameplay and make sure that hundreds of millions of people can go through the whole campaign without any costs. From that standpoint, I feel really good about it as an introduction to Diablo.”

Ybarra also told the LA Times that he and others at the company are well aware of the online complaints and concerns. But he still defended the mobile ARPG by pointing toward its high rating on the Apple App Store, the implication seemingly being that the broader community of people playing Immortal don’t have a problem with the game or its in-app purchases.

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According to the LA Times, Blizzard explained in a follow-up email that the “vast majority” of players are not spending money in the game, but wouldn’t share any specific details. Ybarra seems to suggest that’s a feature and not a bug, but let’s be clear: If this game ever stops racking up millions of dollars, it’s unlikely Blizzard will keep it running out of the kindness of its heart.

Of course, while many players (myself included) continue to play and enjoy Diablo Immortal, there is no denying that it is possible to spend a lot of money on it if you wish to reach the top of the leaderboards and/or want to max out your character’s gear or stats. Blizzard doesn’t seem to have created any real protections to save people from sinking thousands of dollars into the game to get high-ranking gems, and with the game’s abysmal drop rates, it can become a dangerous situation for people unable to control themselves.

Based on what Ybarra has said, and how much money Immortal is bringing in daily, it seems very unlikely that the game will be changed anytime soon to address concerns players have with it and its economy.

Many players are now worried about what to expect from next year’s big entry into the series, Diablo IV. According to Blizzard, it won’t be anything like Immortal and will only include “cosmetic” microtransactions, but even that might feel like too much for some observers.

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