The monetization of Diablo Immortal is a huge topic that seems never to calm down. A player has now taken the effort to calculate exactly how significant the advantage is when paying. The result is surprising.
This is what the player says: In a thread on reddit, the user rwxwuxiaworld explains what advantages paying players have in PvE in Diablo Immortal. He addresses the large discussion regarding the Pay2Win factor in Immortal and places it in a somewhat better context.
According to his own statements, he has spent 1,000 dollars, approximately 950 euros, along with other players, calculated the strength of characters, up to an investment of around 33,000 euros.
The result is quite surprising. He says: The more you pay, the slower it goes. Or in other words: the more you pay, the more expensive it becomes on average to become stronger by one point in relation.
To better illustrate the statement, he provides a list with various levels of money being invested.
Check out gameplay for all 6 classes or take a look at the tier list for all classes in Diablo Immortal:
The combat rating limits progress
What is it about? Specifically, rwxwuxiaworld speaks of a system that is incredibly important in Diablo Immortal but is hardly explained: the combat rating. This determines how much damage you deal or receive.
In general, regarding combat rating: each point of rating that you are below the recommendation increases the damage you receive by 1%. Additionally, you deal less damage. Similar applies when you are above it.
In theory, it is possible to master challenges like higher portals or hell levels, but it becomes extremely difficult. To increase your combat rating, there are only limited options, as the user explains:
- higher stats on the items – with resonance not playing a role
- legendary gems that increase the rating
- directly increasing the combat rating in the Hell Reliquary
This applies only to PvE. In PvP, the benefits are limited; systems like resonance count more, but that’s a completely different topic.
How far can I get without paying? Paying players have an advantage because they can more easily upgrade legendary items and gems. This provides a boost in combat rating. Rwxwuxiaworld lists the advantages you get with how much money:
- completely Free2Play: combat rating of 1,368 possible, enough for Hell 2
- Free2Play with Battle Pass: combat rating of 1,456
- around 190 €: combat rating of 1,608
- around 477 €: combat rating of 1,716
- around 953 €: combat rating of 1,842
- around 1,526 €: combat rating of 1,986
- around 4,768 €: combat rating of 2,254
- around 33,000 € (simulated, not tested): combat rating of 2,848
Keep in mind that these are not limits, but comparisons under similar conditions. He compares necromancers with similar gear at Paragon 30. However, with more money, better and stronger gems at higher ranks are possible, which affect the change in combat rating. Awakening legendary gems, on the other hand, has no impact.
You can also get the legendary gems for free. In the video, we explain how the mechanics behind it work:
What does that mean? According to the calculations, players who spend 33,000 euros would be at the same level as those who “only” spend 4,768 euros. Both would have to farm Hell 3 according to combat rating, with one just taking a little longer than the other. Hell 4 already requires a rating of 3,250.
From this point onward, however, a paying player would have to spend around 47 euros per point of improvement according to rwxwuxiaworld. At the beginning, it is only around 1-3 euros.
Limited grind is the big problem of Diablo Immortal
In theory, it is possible to progress further without paying. However, Diablo Immortal limits the grind through some restrictions.
For this reason, the actual character progress is capped as well. The higher your level, the slower you level up after a certain point. The reason is the so-called server Paragon.
Once you exceed the Paragon of the server, you receive less experience. At the same time, equipment is linked to a specific Paragon level, meaning you can only equip better items from these points onward.
Even paying players encounter these limits, and this is currently a significant concern for the community. MeinMMO author Maik Schneider has also addressed this issue:
I am now in the endgame of Diablo Immortal and suddenly Pay2Win is no longer the biggest problem
Even paying players encounter these limits, and this is currently a significant concern for the community. MeinMMO author Maik Schneider has also addressed this issue:
I am now in the endgame of Diablo Immortal and suddenly Pay2Win is no longer the biggest problem
