Diablo Immortal launch date pushed back to H1 2022; controller support to be added along with other QoL improvements to PvP and PvE

We may have to wait a while longer before Diablo Immortal (of the "do you not have phones" fame) is available to the general public. A post on Blizzard's website states that the Diablo Immortal launch has been pushed back to H1 2022, implying that it could be until June 2022 before we see it in action. Although the official statement cites the reason to be development hurdles, there is a chance that it could have something to do with recent events involving high-level Blizzard executives.

Blizzard says that it is working closely with testers to determine which aspects of Diablo Immortal need refining. Single-player mode gets top priority, given Diablo's origins as an inherently single-player experience. Many modern-day mobile RPGs incentivize players to log in daily with timed quests; these are called 'Bounties' in Diablo Immortal. One can also raid certain areas with their friends and complete Challenge Rifts similar to the ones found in Diablo 3.

Blizzard is also working on improving Diablo Immortal's PvP mode. Players can align themselves with factions, and PvP will be all about which one reigns supreme. A dedicated matchmaking system is in the works, which will pit players of similar skill levels against each other. Then there's a PvPvE raid with players combating other players and in-game enemies in a free for all. Controller support is also due soon.

Although Diablo Immortal is technically a mobile game, a not-so-insignificant chunk of players will be playing it via an emulator. It puts them at a significant advantage, as they don't have to worry about clunky touchscreen controls, allowing them to play for longer. Blizzard plans on combating this by enforcing a weekly experience cap. As its name suggests, players cannot earn more than a certain amount of experience every week. It also helps combat gaming addiction to a certain degree.

Thankfully, we have Diablo 2 Resurrected coming out on September 23 to help bide the time, although it is unlikely that old-school fans are waiting for Diablo Immortal with bated breath. Even though it is not explicitly stated, Diablo Immortal will very likely be riddled with microtransactions. Diablo 3's Auction House crashed and burned spectacularly, and if Blizzard isn't careful, Diablo Immortal could meet the same fate.

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