A seemingly strong item was on sale in Diablo Immortal for real money. Players noticed, however, that the effect was different from what was described – and quickly the description was nerfed. This is exactly why Blizzard is now facing a lawsuit.
What item is it about? The Blessing of the Worthy is one of the legendary gems in Diablo Immortal. It is the only one that can be purchased directly for real money in the game’s shop.
The gem is offered in various bundles, costing between €30.99 and €119.99. The Blessing of the Worthy is considered one of the best gems in the game for some classes – or it was, before it was essentially nerfed.
What has changed? Originally, the description of the gem promised that wearing it would give you a chance to deal 12% of your maximum health as damage. However, this effect was never accurate.
Instead, the gem dealt 12% of current health damage. Especially for barbarians, who can survive with one health point through a skill but actually have a large health pool, the gem is essentially useless.
The creators changed the description of the gem in October 2022 to accurately reflect the current state. The reaction back then was overwhelmingly negative. Some even said: players had never been this angry.
In the video, we explain how legendary gems actually work:
“This is essentially a bait-and-switch offer”
Lawyers from the firm Migliaccio & Rathod in Washington have now been alerted by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) to the case, as the firm itself states. The CWA also includes the union that was established at CoD Warzone maker Raven Software.
Migliaccio & Rathod specialize in class action lawsuits and are now looking for players who want to complain about the change to the Blessing of the Worthy. The firm has set up a form for affected individuals to contact them.
The lawyers write:
Rather than offering refunds in the form of compensation, Blizzard responded to the community by stating that they would change the text of the item description to reflect the actual effect. This practice essentially amounts to a bait-and-switch offer, as the purchasable item advertised an effect that players wanted, but in the end was something entirely different.
In a class action lawsuit, like the one Migliaccio & Rathod is planning, typically one judgment is sufficient to compensate all plaintiffs if they can prove they were affected by the same issue. Such a form of lawsuit does not exist in Germany.
Currently, there is no public statement from Blizzard. We at MeinMMO have also requested a statement, but a response is still pending.
However, the game studio is also experiencing quite an uproar elsewhere:
After Blizzard’s separation: NetEase goes crazy, destroys Orc statue and insults wildly
