<s>
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
is	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
,	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
NetEase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Diablo	B-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
it	O
is	O
set	O
between	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
control	O
a	O
character	O
of	O
their	O
chosen	O
classBarbarian	O
,	O
Wizard	O
,	O
Monk	O
,	O
Necromancer	B-Application
,	O
Demon	O
Hunter	O
,	O
or	O
Crusaderwho	O
must	O
locate	O
and	O
destroy	O
hidden	O
shards	O
of	O
the	O
Worldstone	O
,	O
to	O
prevent	O
Skarn	O
,	O
the	O
Lord	O
of	O
Damnation	O
,	O
from	O
destroying	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Sanctuary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
began	O
with	O
the	O
aim	O
of	O
creating	O
a	O
Diablo	B-Application
game	O
centered	O
around	O
touch	B-Application
controls	I-Application
for	O
those	O
who	O
predominantly	O
played	O
on	B-Application
mobile	I-Application
,	O
but	O
was	O
later	O
expanded	O
to	O
also	O
support	O
game	B-Device
controllers	I-Device
and	O
PC	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
announcement	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
at	O
BlizzCon	O
in	O
2018	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
a	O
largely	O
negative	O
response	O
from	O
Diablo	B-Application
fans	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
anticipated	O
an	O
installment	O
designed	O
for	O
PC	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
on	O
June	O
2	O
,	O
2022	O
for	O
countries	O
mainly	O
outside	O
of	O
the	O
Asia-Pacific	O
region	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
beta	O
release	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
on	O
the	O
same	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Immortal	O
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
,	O
with	O
praise	O
for	O
its	O
combat	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
adaption	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
to	O
mobile	O
,	O
while	O
criticism	O
targeted	O
the	O
plot	O
,	O
voice	O
acting	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
focus	O
on	O
microtransactions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
is	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
(	O
MMO	O
)	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
(	O
ARPG	B-Application
)	O
,	O
designed	O
initially	O
for	O
play	O
on	B-Application
mobile	I-Application
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
features	O
cross-save	O
functionality	O
,	O
linking	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
progress	O
to	O
their	O
Battle.net	B-Operating_System
account	I-Operating_System
and	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
continue	O
across	O
multiple	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fast-paced	O
,	O
arcade-like	O
Immortal	O
has	O
many	O
gameplay	O
similarities	O
to	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
(	O
such	O
as	O
destructible	O
environments	O
)	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
while	O
it	O
retains	O
the	O
vibrant	O
art	O
style	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
tone	O
is	O
closer	O
to	O
the	O
more	O
sombre	O
style	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
the	O
isometric	B-Application
graphic	I-Application
style	O
common	O
to	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
activities	O
are	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
small	O
in	O
size	O
(	O
Blizzard	O
advise	O
that	O
dungeons	O
,	O
though	O
similar	O
to	O
those	O
from	O
the	O
prior	O
games	O
,	O
average	O
10	O
–	O
15	O
minutes	O
in	O
length	O
,	O
with	O
shorter	O
activities	O
lasting	O
1	O
–	O
5	O
minutes	O
)	O
,	O
so	O
they	O
can	O
fit	O
with	O
the	O
shorter	O
play	O
sessions	O
common	O
to	O
mobile	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
;	O
however	O
,	O
unlike	O
many	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
free-to-play	O
mobile	O
space	O
,	O
Immortal	O
does	O
not	O
feature	O
an	O
"	O
energy	O
"	O
system	O
to	O
limit	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
free	O
play	O
time	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
creating	O
a	O
character	O
,	O
players	O
select	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
six	O
character	O
classes	O
:	O
Barbarian	B-Application
,	O
Wizard	O
,	O
Monk	O
,	O
Necromancer	B-Application
,	O
Demon	O
Hunter	O
,	O
and	O
Crusader	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
12	O
unlockable	O
skills	O
(	O
from	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
chooses	O
five	O
to	O
use	O
concurrently	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
Barbarian	B-Application
class	O
's	O
skills	O
include	O
slamming	O
a	O
hammer	O
and	O
turning	O
into	O
a	O
whirlwind	O
,	O
whereas	O
the	O
Wizard	O
's	O
skills	O
include	O
a	O
beam	O
of	O
electricity	O
that	O
boomerangs	O
back	O
to	O
its	O
source	O
,	O
dealing	O
damage	O
twice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
designed	O
primarily	O
for	O
touchscreen	B-Device
devices	O
,	O
with	O
virtual	O
controls	O
that	O
overlay	O
the	O
display	O
:	O
a	O
directional	O
thumbstick	B-Device
and	O
skill	O
buttons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alternatively	O
,	O
players	O
can	O
control	O
the	O
game	O
using	O
a	O
connected	O
gamepad	B-Device
:	O
movement	O
and	O
aiming	O
are	O
controlled	O
with	O
the	O
analogue	B-Device
sticks	I-Device
;	O
attacks	O
,	O
potions	O
,	O
and	O
interactions	O
are	O
controlled	O
by	O
the	O
front-facing	O
buttons	O
;	O
and	O
skills	O
are	O
triggered	O
using	O
the	O
top	O
bumpers	O
&	O
triggers	O
(	O
although	O
these	O
bindings	O
can	O
be	O
changed	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
settings	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
played	O
using	O
a	O
mouse	O
and	O
keyboard	O
,	O
Immortal	O
supports	O
movement	O
using	O
the	O
WASD	O
keys	O
(	O
a	O
first	O
for	O
PC	B-Device
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
)	O
,	O
allowing	O
for	O
movement	O
with	O
one	O
hand	O
alongside	O
combat-based	O
commands	O
using	O
the	O
mouse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Diablo	B-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
mana	B-Application
and	O
other	O
class-specific	O
resources	O
have	O
been	O
removed	O
from	O
Immortal	O
,	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
a	O
cooldown-based	O
system	O
for	O
skills	O
(	O
with	O
typical	O
cooldown	O
times	O
ranging	O
from	O
8	O
–	O
12	O
seconds	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
gain	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
hunt	O
,	O
trap	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
defeat	O
"	O
boss	O
demons	O
"	O
(	O
each	O
with	O
a	O
recommended	O
offense	O
and	O
defence	O
rating	O
)	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
8-player	O
raids	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
a	O
cross-player	O
"	O
marketplace	O
"	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
can	O
buy	O
and	O
sell	O
materials	O
and	O
gems	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
to	O
avoid	O
repeating	O
controversial	O
issues	O
from	O
the	O
"	O
auction	O
house	O
"	O
feature	O
in	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
the	O
marketplace	O
does	O
not	O
allow	O
purchase	O
or	O
trading	O
of	O
equipment	O
items	O
,	O
which	O
must	O
be	O
earned	O
through	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
all	O
of	O
Immortal	O
's	O
core	O
activities	O
can	O
be	O
completed	O
by	O
a	O
solo	O
player	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
style	O
of	O
other	O
MMO	B-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
players	O
can	O
encounter	O
each	O
other	O
when	O
exploring	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
are	O
similar	O
to	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
long-running	O
MMO	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
provides	O
voice	B-Protocol
chat	I-Protocol
features	O
,	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
communicate	O
both	O
with	O
other	O
members	O
of	O
their	O
party	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
a	O
broader	O
range	O
of	O
players	O
via	O
"	O
public	O
"	O
channels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Immortal	O
supports	O
cross-platform-play	B-Application
;	O
however	O
,	O
players	O
must	O
be	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
in-game	O
server	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
interact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
player	O
character	O
can	O
be	O
transferred	O
between	O
servers	B-Application
for	O
free	O
on	O
the	O
first	O
occasion	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
subsequent	O
transfer	O
requiring	O
a	O
one-off	O
purchase	O
(	O
and	O
a	O
wait	O
period	O
of	O
30	O
days	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
servers	B-Application
allows	O
up	O
to	O
300	O
players	O
within	O
the	O
"	O
Immortals	O
"	O
faction	O
,	O
but	O
an	O
unlimited	O
number	O
of	O
players	O
to	O
opt	O
in	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Shadows	O
"	O
faction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
Immortal	O
players	O
can	O
participate	O
in	O
"	O
Kion	O
's	O
Ordeal	O
"	O
:	O
a	O
48-player	O
raid	B-Protocol
,	O
with	O
four	O
groups	O
of	O
12	O
players	O
fighting	O
four	O
bosses	O
simultaneously	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadows	O
activities	O
include	O
"	O
Raid	B-Protocol
the	O
Vault	O
"	O
,	O
where	O
4	O
players	O
attempt	O
to	O
steal	O
from	O
the	O
Immortals	O
 '	O
vault	O
(	O
beginning	O
with	O
PVE	O
gameplay	O
,	O
until	O
the	O
Immortals	O
send	O
players	O
to	O
defend	O
the	O
vault	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Part	O
of	O
the	O
Diablo	B-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
Immortal	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
world	O
of	O
Sanctuary	O
and	O
is	O
set	O
5	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
but	O
prior	O
to	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
learn	O
from	O
recurring	O
Diablo	B-Application
character	O
Deckard	O
Cain	O
that	O
they	O
must	O
locate	O
and	O
destroy	O
shards	O
of	O
the	O
Worldstone	O
across	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Sanctuary	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
prevent	O
a	O
world-threatening	O
disaster	O
,	O
masterminded	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
initial	O
antagonist	O
Skarn	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
Lord	O
of	O
Damnation.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
journey	O
continues	O
into	O
areas	O
including	O
the	O
city	O
of	O
Westmarch	O
(	O
which	O
serves	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
main	O
location	O
for	O
trade	O
and	O
social	O
activities	O
)	O
,	O
Ashworld	O
Cemetery	O
,	O
Dark	O
Wood	O
,	O
the	O
Shassar	O
Sea	O
,	O
Mount	O
Zavain	O
(	O
location	O
of	O
the	O
Sanctified	O
Earth	O
Monastery	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
Frozen	O
Tundra	O
(	O
populated	O
by	O
Barbarian	B-Application
tribes	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Stormpoint	O
prison	O
island	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Diablo	B-Application
general	O
manager	O
Rod	O
Fergusson	O
,	O
"	O
You	O
can	O
play	O
every	O
aspect	O
of	O
this	O
game	O
for	O
free	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
You	O
can	O
play	O
the	O
entire	O
campaign	O
for	O
free	O
,	O
you	O
can	O
play	O
raids	B-Protocol
and	O
the	O
Cycle	O
of	O
Strife	O
and	O
everything	O
,	O
for	O
free	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
confirmed	O
that	O
seasons	O
which	O
encourage	O
players	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
new	O
character	O
each	O
time	O
(	O
as	O
seen	O
in	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
)	O
are	O
not	O
planned	O
for	O
Immortal	O
,	O
which	O
will	O
focus	O
instead	O
on	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
players	O
retaining	O
a	O
single	O
long-term	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
intended	O
to	O
bring	O
the	O
core	O
Diablo	B-Application
experience	O
to	O
the	O
smartphone	B-Application
platform	O
,	O
making	O
interface	O
design	O
choices	O
to	O
best	O
fit	O
that	O
experience	O
to	O
the	O
medium	O
,	O
including	O
gameplay	O
concepts	O
that	O
were	O
unavailable	O
to	O
prior	O
Diablo	B-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
designing	O
for	O
a	O
smartphone	B-Application
gaming	O
audience	O
,	O
Immortal	O
was	O
intended	O
to	O
reach	O
demographics	O
and	O
geographic	O
regions	O
that	O
use	O
mobile	O
phones	O
as	O
their	O
primary	O
gaming	O
platform	O
,	O
and	O
therefore	O
may	O
not	O
otherwise	O
interact	O
with	O
Diablo	B-Application
in	O
other	O
formats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
director	O
,	O
Wyatt	O
Cheng	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
senior	O
combat	O
designer	O
,	O
Julian	O
Love	O
,	O
both	O
worked	O
previously	O
on	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
and	O
included	O
elements	O
to	O
Immortal	O
which	O
they	O
were	O
not	O
able	O
to	O
include	O
within	O
its	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
announced	O
during	O
the	O
opening	O
ceremony	O
of	O
BlizzCon	O
in	O
November	O
2018	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
release	O
platforms	O
were	O
confirmed	O
as	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
,	O
with	O
cross-platform	B-Application
play	I-Application
and	O
progression	O
carry-over	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
announcement	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
began	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
pre-register	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
website	O
for	O
admission	O
to	O
playtest	B-General_Concept
the	O
future	O
beta	O
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
details	O
confirmed	O
in	O
the	O
post	O
included	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
feature	O
six	O
playable	O
classes	O
(	O
Barbarian	B-Application
,	O
Crusader	O
,	O
Demon	O
Hunter	O
,	O
Monk	O
,	O
Necromancer	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Wizard	O
)	O
and	O
chargeable	O
,	O
class-specific	O
'	O
ultimate	O
 '	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
August	O
2020	O
,	O
at	O
ChinaJoy	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
and	O
NetEase	O
released	O
a	O
new	O
gameplay	O
trailer	O
for	O
Immortal	O
,	O
showcasing	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
six	O
playable	O
classes	O
,	O
and	O
featuring	O
the	O
first	O
appearance	O
of	O
Baal	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
main	O
antagonists	O
from	O
Diablo	B-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
its	O
expansion	O
,	O
Lord	B-Application
of	I-Application
Destruction	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
alpha	O
was	O
released	O
specifically	O
for	O
players	O
in	O
Australia	O
on	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
some	O
media	O
outlets	O
were	O
also	O
given	O
access	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
this	O
discussion	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
also	O
confirmed	O
that	O
they	O
were	O
working	O
to	O
bring	O
game	B-Device
controller	I-Device
support	O
to	O
Immortal	O
,	O
alongside	O
its	O
on-screen	O
virtual	O
controls	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
they	O
plan	O
to	O
introduce	O
additional	O
classes	O
and	O
locations	O
(	O
all	O
free	O
for	O
every	O
player	O
)	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
initial	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
further	O
February	O
2021	O
interviews	O
,	O
development	O
team	O
members	O
stated	O
that	O
although	O
they	O
remained	O
focused	O
on	B-Application
mobile	I-Application
platforms	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
"	O
not	O
necessarily	O
going	O
to	O
block	O
"	O
efforts	O
by	O
others	O
to	O
emulate	B-Application
it	O
on	O
other	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
's	O
being	O
built	O
from	O
scratch	O
on	O
a	O
new	O
engine	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
's	O
not	O
a	O
re-skin	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
...	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
The	O
team	O
also	O
revealed	O
how	O
they	O
had	O
made	O
player	O
feedback	O
a	O
core	O
component	O
of	O
the	O
alpha	O
test	O
,	O
implementing	O
a	O
system	O
which	O
allowed	O
them	O
to	O
look	O
at	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
feedback	O
submitted	O
through	O
the	O
in-game	O
feedback	O
tool	O
:	O
"	O
At	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
our	O
Technical	O
Alpha	O
,	O
we	O
looked	O
at	O
every	O
single	O
piece	O
of	O
feedback	O
we	O
got	O
...	O
We	O
basically	O
did	O
a	O
summit	O
where	O
we	O
had	O
all	O
the	O
team	O
on	O
a	O
Zoom	B-Application
,	O
and	O
I	O
was	O
sharing	O
my	O
screen	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
just	O
went	O
line-by-line	O
...	O
</s>
<s>
And	O
we	O
're	O
also	O
looking	O
at	O
Reddit	B-Application
and	O
other	O
community	O
channels	O
to	O
get	O
anecdotes	O
and	O
other	O
feedback	O
from	O
there	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2021	O
,	O
Immortal	O
entered	O
a	O
new	O
closed	O
alpha	O
test	O
,	O
also	O
limited	O
specifically	O
to	O
Android	B-Application
players	O
in	O
Australia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
closed	O
beta	O
version	O
of	O
Immortal	O
launched	O
on	O
October	O
28	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
intended	O
duration	O
of	O
"	O
just	O
under	O
three	O
months	O
"	O
,	O
solely	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
players	O
in	O
Australia	O
and	O
Canada	O
(	O
expanding	O
in	O
the	O
weeks	O
after	O
to	O
Korea	O
,	O
Japan	O
,	O
and	O
China	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
new	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
added	O
in	O
the	O
Necromancer	B-Application
class	O
(	O
the	O
final	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
planned	O
launch	O
classes	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
"	O
Hell	O
IV	O
"	O
difficulty	O
level	O
(	O
with	O
improved	O
rewards	O
for	O
higher	O
difficulties	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
Legacy	O
of	O
the	O
Horadrim	O
"	O
feature	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
iteration	O
of	O
game	B-Device
controller	I-Device
support	O
(	O
a	O
work-in-progress	O
"	O
early	O
test	O
"	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
feature	O
,	O
supporting	O
character	O
movement	O
and	O
combat	O
via	O
a	O
limited	O
range	O
of	O
controllers	O
,	O
but	O
requiring	O
players	O
to	O
navigate	O
menus	O
using	O
the	O
touchscreen	B-Device
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
beta	O
also	O
added	O
a	O
player	O
ranking	O
system	O
and	O
corresponding	O
rewards	O
to	O
the	O
8	O
vs.	O
8	O
"	O
Battlegrounds	B-Protocol
"	O
mode	O
,	O
and	O
significantly	O
changed	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Cycle	O
of	O
Strife	O
"	O
,	O
shifting	O
it	O
from	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
8	O
vs.	O
8	O
battles	O
(	O
featuring	O
the	O
strongest	O
eight	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
ten	O
Dark	O
Houses	O
against	O
the	O
best	O
players	O
within	O
the	O
Immortals	O
)	O
to	O
a	O
new	O
system	O
called	O
"	O
Challenge	O
of	O
the	O
Immortal	O
"	O
:	O
a	O
30	O
vs.	O
1	O
battle	O
centred	O
around	O
the	O
top	O
Immortal	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
structure	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Helliquary	O
"	O
feature	O
was	O
also	O
changed	O
:	O
these	O
enemies	O
,	O
which	O
could	O
previously	O
be	O
defeated	O
by	O
solo	O
players	O
,	O
were	O
changed	O
to	O
8-player	O
raid	B-Protocol
events	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
strong	O
focus	O
on	O
teamwork	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
changes	O
included	O
shifting	O
bounties	O
to	O
single-player	O
experiences	O
(	O
to	O
avoid	O
players	O
feeling	O
like	O
groups	O
were	O
forced	O
together	O
)	O
,	O
balancing	O
the	O
difficulty	O
of	O
"	O
Helliquary	O
"	O
raid	B-Protocol
bosses	O
,	O
refining	O
controller	O
support	O
,	O
finalizing	O
the	O
"	O
Paragon	O
"	O
system	O
(	O
to	O
prevent	O
players	O
progressing	O
too	O
quickly	O
ahead	O
of	O
others	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
re-evaluating	O
the	O
"	O
Boon	O
of	O
Plenty	O
"	O
micro-transaction	O
to	O
increase	O
its	O
value	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
28	O
,	O
2022	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
commenced	O
iOS	B-Application
pre-orders	O
for	O
Immortal	O
(	O
to	O
match	O
Android	B-Application
pre-registrations	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
already	O
gone	O
live	O
)	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
new	O
trailer	O
showcasing	O
exclusive	O
in-game	O
"	O
Horadrim	O
"	O
cosmetics	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
made	O
available	O
to	O
all	O
players	O
(	O
provided	O
that	O
they	O
complete	O
the	O
tutorial	O
within	O
30	O
days	O
of	O
launch	O
)	O
if	O
the	O
game	O
reached	O
30	O
million	O
pre-registrations	O
before	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
corresponding	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
listing	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
specified	O
a	O
release	O
date	O
of	O
June	O
30	O
,	O
2022	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
later	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
clarified	O
that	O
this	O
was	O
only	O
a	O
placeholder	O
date	O
while	O
they	O
"	O
lock	O
in	O
"	O
plans	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
this	O
announcement	O
,	O
they	O
also	O
unveiled	O
that	O
an	O
open	O
beta	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
begin	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
date	O
(	O
with	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
mobile	O
version	O
's	O
content	O
and	O
features	O
,	O
plus	O
all	O
progress	O
and	O
purchases	O
carrying	O
over	O
to	O
the	O
full	O
version	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
also	O
released	O
a	O
statement	O
regarding	O
their	O
decision	O
to	O
release	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
PC	B-Device
,	O
despite	O
previously	O
stating	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
mobile	O
exclusive	O
:	O
"	O
On	O
one	O
hand	O
,	O
we	O
felt	O
that	O
we	O
would	O
n't	O
be	O
doing	O
the	O
title	O
justice	O
by	O
releasing	O
a	O
game	O
originally	O
designed	O
for	O
mobile	O
on	O
PC	B-Device
,	O
on	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
we	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
the	O
game	O
reached	O
as	O
many	O
players	O
as	O
possibleespecially	O
our	O
most	O
dedicated	O
PC	B-Device
fans	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
deciding	O
factor	O
was	O
that	O
we	O
knew	O
many	O
of	O
you	O
would	O
attempt	O
to	O
play	O
this	O
game	O
through	O
an	O
emulator	B-Application
,	O
thus	O
leading	O
us	O
towards	O
building	O
a	O
better	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
In	O
an	O
interview	O
with	O
GameSpot	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
senior	O
designer	O
,	O
Scott	O
Burgess	O
,	O
added	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
taken	O
"	O
so	O
long	O
"	O
to	O
announce	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
PC	B-Device
version	O
because	O
they	O
"	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
the	O
polish	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
at	O
a	O
point	O
where	O
we	O
were	O
happy	O
with	O
it	O
and	O
happy	O
to	O
release	O
it	O
simultaneously	O
with	O
the	O
mobile	O
launch.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
release	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
expanded	O
to	O
include	O
support	O
for	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
additional	O
controllers	O
compared	O
with	O
its	O
beta	O
versions	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
's	I-Device
DualSense	O
,	O
the	O
Rotor	O
Riot	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
SteelSeries	O
Nimbus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	B-Device
pre-loading	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
began	O
on	O
May	O
26	O
,	O
2022	O
,	O
alongside	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
"	O
roadmap	O
to	O
hell	O
,	O
"	O
detailing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
rollout	O
schedule	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
included	O
confirmation	O
that	O
although	O
it	O
would	O
launch	O
on	O
June	O
2	O
for	O
most	O
regions	O
,	O
Immortal	O
would	O
launch	O
on	O
June	O
23	O
for	O
countries	O
in	O
the	O
Asia	O
Pacific	O
region	O
such	O
as	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
,	O
Indonesia	O
,	O
Singapore	O
,	O
and	O
Thailand	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
only	O
be	O
available	O
on	O
PC	B-Device
for	O
players	O
in	O
Vietnam	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
confirmed	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
launch	O
with	O
native	O
voice	B-Protocol
chat	I-Protocol
transcription	O
and	O
speech-to-text	B-Application
accessibility	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
supplied	O
reviewers	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
Razer	O
Kishi	O
controllers	O
,	O
which	O
attach	O
to	O
smartphones	B-Application
to	O
provide	O
a	O
hardware	O
experience	O
similar	O
to	O
handheld	O
gaming	O
consoles	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
or	O
Steam	B-Device
Deck	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
with	O
The	O
Washington	O
Post	O
,	O
game	O
director	O
Wyatt	O
Cheng	O
said	O
that	O
he	O
believed	O
"	O
...	O
'	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
 '	O
is	O
going	O
to	O
change	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
people	O
's	O
minds	O
on	O
what	O
they	O
think	O
of	O
as	O
a	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
15	O
,	O
2022	O
,	O
Immortal	O
's	O
official	O
account	O
on	O
Chinese	O
social	O
media	O
website	O
Weibo	B-Protocol
was	O
reportedly	O
banned	O
from	O
the	O
service	O
for	O
"	O
violating	O
relevant	O
laws	O
and	O
regulations	O
,	O
"	O
with	O
publications	O
speculating	O
that	O
this	O
was	O
due	O
to	O
an	O
alleged	O
,	O
since-deleted	O
post	O
from	O
the	O
account	O
making	O
reference	O
to	O
Winnie	O
the	O
Pooh	O
(	O
a	O
popular	O
method	O
for	O
criticizing	O
Chinese	O
leader	O
,	O
Xi	O
Jinping	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
the	O
ongoing	O
ban	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
Weibo	B-Protocol
account	O
,	O
NetEase	O
did	O
not	O
make	O
any	O
social	O
media	O
announcement	O
for	O
the	O
updated	O
launch	O
date	O
(	O
though	O
did	O
set	O
up	O
pre-launch	O
marketing	O
pages	O
on	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
and	O
TapTap	O
online	O
game	O
stores	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
days	O
of	O
release	O
,	O
Immortal	O
was	O
first	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
country	O
's	O
iOS	B-Application
video	O
game	O
downloads	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
players	O
on	O
popular	O
regional	O
servers	B-Application
experienced	O
queues	O
of	O
over	O
5,000	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
"	O
top	O
requested	O
changes	O
from	O
our	O
community	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
transfer	O
characters	O
between	O
in-game	O
servers	B-Application
was	O
added	O
in	O
October	O
2022	O
,	O
alongside	O
the	O
announcement	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
be	O
merging	O
servers	B-Application
to	O
achieve	O
higher	O
player	O
counts	O
in	O
each	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
12	O
servers	B-Application
in	O
each	O
North	O
American	O
data	O
center	O
being	O
merged	O
into	O
four	O
groups	O
of	O
three	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
additional	O
in-game	O
location	O
for	O
Immortal	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
salt-scrubbed	O
prison	O
island	O
"	O
of	O
Stormpoint	O
,	O
was	O
announced	O
during	O
a	O
developer	O
Q&A	O
post	O
,	O
which	O
confirmed	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
"	O
expand	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
and	O
introduce	O
a	O
new	O
questline	O
,	O
"	O
whilst	O
also	O
featuring	O
"	O
more	O
farming	B-Application
opportunities	O
,	O
bounties	O
,	O
and	O
unique	O
zone-wide	O
events.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
traditional	O
gaming	O
audiences	O
often	O
express	O
skepticism	O
towards	O
mobile	O
versions	O
of	O
game	O
franchises	O
,	O
the	O
Diablo	B-Application
series	I-Application
community	O
's	O
discontent	O
was	O
compounded	O
by	O
their	O
anticipation	O
for	O
a	O
larger	O
announcement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
particular	O
questions	O
leveled	O
at	O
Wyatt	O
Cheng	O
,	O
Principal	O
Game	O
Designer	O
at	O
Blizzard	O
,	O
drew	O
significant	O
attention	O
from	O
media	O
and	O
audiences	O
alike	O
,	O
with	O
one	O
attendee	O
asking	O
if	O
the	O
announcement	O
was	O
an	O
"	O
out	O
of	O
season	O
April	O
Fools	O
 '	O
joke	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
another	O
asking	O
if	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
possibility	O
for	O
a	O
PC	B-Device
release	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
the	O
crowd	O
booing	O
when	O
the	O
answer	O
was	O
negative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
responded	O
to	O
the	O
announcement	O
's	O
reception	O
the	O
following	O
day	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
Immortal	O
is	O
but	O
one	O
Diablo	B-Application
series	I-Application
game	O
in	O
active	O
development	O
,	O
and	O
pointing	O
to	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
multi-platform	O
development	O
experience	O
and	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
mobile	O
version	O
of	O
Hearthstone	B-Application
as	O
evidence	O
of	O
their	O
capacity	O
to	O
overcome	O
uncertainty	O
and	O
do	O
right	O
by	O
their	O
core	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
addressed	O
a	O
rumor	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
withheld	O
announcement	O
of	O
a	O
main	O
Diablo	B-Application
sequel	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
negative	O
response	O
at	O
Immortal'''s	O
reveal	O
:	O
"	O
First	O
off	O
we	O
want	O
to	O
mention	O
that	O
we	O
definitely	O
hear	O
our	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
do	O
continue	O
to	O
have	O
different	O
teams	O
working	O
on	O
multiple	O
unannounced	O
Diablo	B-Application
projects	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
look	O
forward	O
to	O
announcing	O
when	O
the	O
time	O
is	O
right	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
I	O
think	O
it	O
's	O
clear	O
there	O
's	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
players	O
who	O
are	O
eager	O
for	O
more	O
Diablo	B-Application
PC	B-Device
and	O
console	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
We	O
feel	O
that	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
is	O
going	O
to	O
deliver	O
a	O
very	O
authentic	O
Diablo	B-Application
experience	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
're	O
not	O
going	O
to	O
compromise	O
on	O
that	O
mission	O
...	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
end	O
,	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
is	O
going	O
to	O
fulfil	O
that	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
think	O
that	O
people	O
are	O
going	O
to	O
experience	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
think	O
they	O
're	O
going	O
to	O
love	O
it.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Mashable	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
described	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
fun	O
"	O
and	O
praised	O
its	O
visual	O
style	O
compared	O
to	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
while	O
GameSpot	O
and	O
VentureBeat	O
cited	O
its	O
many	O
unknown	O
factors	O
(	O
especially	O
how	O
its	O
business	O
model	O
would	O
work	O
,	O
which	O
Blizzard	O
was	O
unable	O
to	O
confirm	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
)	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
biggest	O
areas	O
of	O
concern	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiple	O
writers	O
felt	O
that	O
where	O
Immortal	O
captured	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
look	O
and	O
feel	O
,	O
it	O
omitted	O
some	O
of	O
its	O
core	O
tenets	O
,	O
or	O
as	O
Polygon	O
put	O
it	O
,	O
Diablo	B-Application
"	O
soul	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
captured	O
the	O
basic	O
Diablo	B-Application
experience	O
,	O
the	O
reviewers	O
questioned	O
whether	O
the	O
new	O
entry	O
had	O
enough	O
new	O
content	O
to	O
remain	O
fresh	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
to	O
those	O
from	O
2018	O
,	O
previews	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
late	O
2020	O
alpha	O
featured	O
a	O
higher	O
level	O
of	O
positivity	O
:	O
IGN	O
,	O
described	O
Immortal	O
as	O
offering	O
a	O
"	O
fully	O
fledged	O
new	O
Diablo	B-Application
"	O
experience	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
not	O
a	O
watered	O
down	O
mobile	O
lookalike	O
"	O
(	O
a	O
message	O
reinforced	O
by	O
Eurogamer	O
and	O
The	O
Verge	O
,	O
who	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
"[feeling]	O
like	O
a	O
proper	O
Diablo	B-Application
game	O
"	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informer	O
's	O
reviewer	O
explicitly	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
new	O
alpha	O
"	O
looks	O
,	O
feels	O
,	O
and	O
plays	O
much	O
closer	O
to	O
a	O
core	O
Diablo	B-Application
title	O
"	O
than	O
the	O
previous	O
demos	O
they	O
had	O
seen	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
they	O
felt	O
that	O
while	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
positives	O
,	O
it	O
made	O
them	O
wish	O
it	O
was	O
available	O
on	O
a	O
non-mobile	O
platform	O
,	O
without	O
virtual	O
touch	B-Application
controls	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
2021	O
beta	O
version	O
,	O
Anthony	O
Nash	O
of	O
Android	B-Application
Central	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
has	O
what	O
it	O
takes	O
to	O
not	O
only	O
deliver	O
an	O
authentic	O
Diablo	B-Application
experience	O
,	O
but	O
to	O
quickly	O
become	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
Android	B-Application
games	O
available	O
when	O
it	O
launches.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Describing	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
must-play	O
for	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
"	O
Nash	O
praised	O
the	O
newly-added	O
necromancer	B-Application
class	O
and	O
the	O
improvements	O
to	O
player	O
vs.	O
player	O
modes	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
prior	O
alpha	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nick	O
Rego	O
of	O
IGN	O
also	O
praised	O
the	O
beta	O
's	O
improvements	O
over	O
the	O
alpha	O
and	O
its	O
similarity	O
to	O
prior	O
Diablo	B-Application
games	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
noted	O
that	O
"	O
it	O
'll	O
only	O
run	O
as	O
good	O
as	O
the	O
phone	O
you	O
're	O
playing	O
it	O
on	O
,	O
and	O
in-game	O
microtransactions	O
may	O
make	O
you	O
feel	O
like	O
you	O
're	O
missing	O
out	O
on	O
some	O
truly	O
great	O
items.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Shea	O
also	O
offered	O
praise	O
for	O
the	O
virtual	O
controls	O
available	O
,	O
describing	O
them	O
as	O
"	O
intuitive	O
and	O
easy	O
to	O
use	O
"	O
,	O
despite	O
considering	O
himself	O
"	O
generally	O
not	O
a	O
fan	O
of	O
virtual	O
analogue	B-Device
sticks	I-Device
and	O
virtual	O
buttons.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Post-release	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Common	O
areas	O
of	O
praise	O
included	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
"	O
fun	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
satisfying	O
"	O
combat	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
user	O
interface	O
,	O
touch	B-Application
controls	I-Application
,	O
and	O
overall	O
presentation	O
;	O
whereas	O
areas	O
of	O
criticism	O
included	O
the	O
plot	O
,	O
leveling	O
system	O
(	O
citing	O
a	O
need	O
for	O
grinding	B-Application
,	O
particularly	O
for	O
free	O
players	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
voice	O
acting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
his	O
review	O
,	O
Cam	O
Shea	O
of	O
IGN	O
said	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
feels	O
great	O
to	O
play	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
most	O
part	O
it	O
looks	O
pretty	O
good	O
,	O
too	O
"	O
,	O
reiterated	O
his	O
being	O
a	O
"	O
big	O
fan	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
touch	B-Application
controls	I-Application
,	O
while	O
also	O
praising	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
streamlined	O
inventory	O
system	O
compared	O
with	O
its	O
predecessors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Den	O
of	O
Geek	O
's	O
Matthew	O
Byrd	O
mentioned	O
that	O
when	O
focusing	O
attention	O
on	O
the	O
"	O
core	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
experience	O
...	O
you	O
're	O
able	O
to	O
experience	O
without	O
spending	O
a	O
dime	O
,	O
"	O
it	O
is	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
substantial	O
mobile	B-Application
games	I-Application
ever	O
made	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
features	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
impressive	O
presentation	O
values	O
you	O
'll	O
ever	O
find	O
in	O
a	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
;	O
"	O
however	O
,	O
Byrd	O
also	O
opined	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
microtransactions	O
are	O
"	O
malicious	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
clearly	O
designed	O
to	O
make	O
free-to-play	O
gamers	O
feel	O
inferior	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similarly	O
,	O
Igor	O
Bonifacic	O
of	O
Engadget	B-Application
described	O
Immortal	O
as	O
"	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
best	O
and	O
most	O
worrying	O
game	O
in	O
years	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
a	O
more	O
fitting	O
sequel	O
"	O
to	O
its	O
predecessors	O
than	O
Diablo	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
but	O
also	O
pointed	O
out	O
how	O
"	O
players	O
willing	O
to	O
spend	O
nearly	O
endless	O
amounts	O
of	O
money	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
will	O
be	O
the	O
most	O
powerful	O
"	O
,	O
contrasting	O
with	O
the	O
"	O
spirit	O
of	O
the	O
franchise.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Maddy	O
Myers	O
of	O
Polygon	O
thought	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
proved	O
that	O
"	O
Diablo	B-Application
was	O
made	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
"	O
,	O
but	O
pointed	O
out	O
how	O
microtransactions	O
work	O
"	O
a	O
little	O
too	O
well	O
"	O
with	O
the	O
series	O
formula	O
,	O
writing	O
"[they]	O
do	O
not	O
just	O
feel	O
predatory	O
and	O
manipulative	O
;	O
they	O
feel	O
like	O
the	O
final	O
ingredient	O
that	O
allows	O
an	O
already-addictive	O
series	O
to	O
attain	O
its	O
true	O
form.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Tyler	O
Colp	O
of	O
PC	B-Device
Gamer	O
said	O
that	O
in	O
regards	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
microtransactions	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
red	O
flags	O
are	O
big	O
with	O
this	O
one.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Metacritic	O
's	O
user	O
review	O
score	O
for	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
version	O
reached	O
0.2/10	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
site	O
's	O
lowest	O
ever	O
user	O
rating	O
for	O
a	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
players	O
on	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
Twitter	B-Application
and	O
Reddit	B-Application
later	O
revised	O
these	O
estimates	O
to	O
between	O
and	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
reaching	O
maximum	O
levels	O
of	O
a	O
legendary	O
gem	O
unlocks	O
additional	O
gem	O
slots	O
within	O
items.Video	O
Games	O
Chronicle	O
reported	O
on	O
the	O
experience	O
of	O
YouTuber	O
Raxxanterax	O
,	O
who	O
noted	O
he	O
had	O
easily	O
lost	O
to	O
a	O
"	O
whale	O
"	O
player	O
,	O
while	O
PCGamesN	O
documented	O
the	O
experience	O
of	O
another	O
YouTuber	O
,	O
Wudijo	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
become	O
powerful	O
enough	O
to	O
survive	O
the	O
toughest	O
battles	O
on	O
their	O
server	O
without	O
spending	O
any	O
money	O
(	O
although	O
they	O
did	O
note	O
that	O
not	O
all	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
victorious	O
clan	O
were	O
free-to-play	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
included	O
a	O
community	O
Diablo	B-Application
website	O
announcing	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
closing	O
their	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
section	O
and	O
removing	O
all	O
of	O
their	O
previously-published	O
guides	O
for	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
negative	O
sentiment	O
around	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
monetization	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
representatives	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
monetization	O
comes	O
in	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
game	O
...	O
hundreds	O
of	O
millions	O
of	O
people	O
can	O
go	O
through	O
the	O
whole	O
campaign	O
without	O
any	O
costs	O
"	O
,	O
cited	O
"	O
high	O
user	O
reviews	O
on	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
"	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
success	O
,	O
and	O
informed	O
the	O
LA	O
Times	O
that	O
"	O
50%	O
of	O
players	O
have	O
never	O
played	O
a	O
Diablo	B-Application
game	O
before	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
the	O
vast	O
majority	O
of	O
players	O
are	O
n't	O
spending	O
money	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
the	O
first	O
week	O
of	O
release	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
announced	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
as	O
having	O
the	O
biggest	O
launch	O
in	O
the	O
Diablo	B-Application
franchise	O
's	O
history	O
,	O
having	O
reached	O
over	O
ten	O
million	O
downloads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Activision	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
second-quarter	O
financial	O
results	O
for	O
2022	O
(	O
which	O
cited	O
Immortal	O
as	O
the	O
reason	O
for	O
its	O
increase	O
from	O
22	O
million	O
monthly	O
users	O
to	O
27	O
million	O
)	O
indicated	O
that	O
50%	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
Immortal	I-Application
player	O
accounts	O
to-date	O
were	O
newly-registered	O
with	O
Blizzard	O
,	O
suggesting	O
(	O
due	O
to	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
player	O
sign-in	O
requirements	O
)	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
likely	O
not	O
played	O
any	O
prior	O
Diablo	B-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
figure	O
had	O
reached	O
$24	O
million	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
first	O
two	O
weeks	O
(	O
making	O
it	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
second-highest-earning	O
game	O
,	O
after	O
Hearthstone	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
analytics	O
firm	O
Sensor	O
Tower	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
surpassed	O
in	O
revenue	O
within	O
its	O
first	O
eight	O
weeks	O
.	O
</s>
