My opinion on Diablo Immortal and the future

Dear Blizzard,

I will always remember, as a kid, how fun it was to finally install the new game Blizzard has developed for us. Like it was yesterday, Warcraft2, Warcraft3, Sc2, all Diablo games, etc. Even WoW back in the days.

Years passed, I started a family with my wife, 3 kids and so on! I was hoping the day I would present these older games to my kids and teach them how it works and how Blizzard changed my life when I was at their age.

Moreover, it also changed my life when I became a father. I would install a new game, Diablo Immortal, the perfect gaming experience for dads in high demand!! Every turn in the game would try to take a part of me, our money. There is a first for everything, 3-4 battle pass levels with diff rewards. Rewards I can also lose, by the way, by not logging in. All bad stuff.

The predatory design you have put in place in this game shouldn’t exist with the lootbox and the gambling coming with this. There are a lot of people struggling with dependencies like gambling, help and respect that. Diablo Immortal is not a game I would recommand to anyone. At some point, it will work his way into your mind and you will spend a lot more money you are supposed to.

I personnaly stopped at 40$ when I realized I was being manipulated and engaged by this predatory design.

My recommandations for Blizzard are simple:

  • Remove any lootbox or any system with any gambling attachment
  • The cash shop should prioritize cosmetics
  • Stop adding more battle pass levels, I think one battle pass per month at 5$ is enough.
  • Increase the daily/weekly rewards activities by also reducing the time requirement, it can take 3hrs/day to do them all.
  • F2P players should be able to progress normally with the battle pass with no incentive to engage further.
  • Remove Legendary / rare crest from the game and engage the rewards through great dailies and the battle pass. Or, add a lot of those everywhere, but not in the shop.
  • D3 had an auction house, it was really running the game. I have the highest respect for soulbound approach where you cannot buy your power with cash$.
  • Platinum currency can be removed as well, it just confuses players in the exchange rate.
  • Legendary gems would be a reward from dailies, % drop in elder rifts from those dailies empowered rift. Challenge rifts, Lassal raid, etc are all great places to have those garanteered drops. Again, the shop shouldn’t have any ways to improve your power.

I could put a lot more. DI has the potential to become the best game ever with the accessibility it presents. You just need to redesign the F2P experience, money design and progression.

Don’t let people buy their power, you will encourage unethical behavior for our kids. I hope you will make a lot of changes. At the current state, I shall say that Blizzard games should not be part of my life, nor of my kids, unless there is a drastic change for good and honest business/gaming.

Thanks!

Hope this was the right place, couldn’t find a feedback forum for DI.

2 Likes

They get you at the first dollar. Classic mobile game monetizing hook. Gotta keep a f2p mindset unless you want to compete against the top teir players.

1 Like

I agree totally! This makes no sense.