Even though Diablo Immortal was not part of the BlizzConline opening ceremony, the development team discussed the mobile game in its own panel. Some interesting things were revealed.
Lead designer Wyatt Cheng talked a bit about Diablo Immortal, explaining what kind of game we can expect.
1. Diablo Immortal will be a mobile MMO
Blizzard emphasized once again that Diablo Immortal is planned as an MMO. This means that interacting with other players is a priority. You will encounter dozens of fellow players in the zones. It is possible to form groups for dungeon runs or participate in public events with strangers. However, it is still unclear how large these will be and whether they will be included at launch in Diablo Immortal.
You can communicate via voice chat with the other heroes and even record messages to leave for your friends. Additionally, it should be possible to create a guild.
The mobile game will be released as a free-to-play game. There will be microtransactions, but you will not be able to purchase loot or new classes. However, it is possible to buy items that offer time savings when finding legendary gems. You need these gems to upgrade your weapons and armor.
2. What about the release?
The team explained that they cannot announce a release date yet. After the last technical alpha, another one is planned. This currently does not have a date. However, the plans seem to be that the participants in the alpha can level up to 60 and thus also test endgame content.
Blizzard even plans more alphas that will make new zones and the Necromancer and Crusader classes playable. Therefore, several tests are planned before Blizzard can talk about a release of the mobile game.
3. A mobile game with short gaming sessions
Who is the game targeted at? Diablo Immortal aims to provide a true Diablo experience, tailored to mobile gameplay. Lead designer Wyatt Cheng explains that the activities in the game were developed so that you can complete them in short sessions of one to five minutes.
This allows casual players to pick up their smartphones for a few minutes and complete a quest. Those who want to play longer can simply complete several missions in a row.
4. What does Diablo Immortal offer in PvP?
Wyatt Cheng explains that Blizzard has big plans regarding PvP, but cannot say much about it yet. However, there will be specific PvP events for each zone in the game world.
For example, a valuable chest will appear in one zone, which players will fight over. The last one standing will get the contents. However, this is just one example; other events can be significantly more complex.
5. New features for a Diablo game
Diablo Immortal is designed to play like Diablo, but expand the gaming experience with new elements. These include things like:
- Monsters using special powers, like freezing the ground, causing heroes to slip.
- Such elements can also be combined. For example, with additional wind. A player slips on the ground and then has to try to fight against the wind, stand up, and reach the enemy.
- Weather plays an important role and should impact gameplay. If you run against the wind, you will be slower.
Diablo Immortal is part of the MeinMMO list of the 5 most promising mobile MMORPGs for 2021.
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