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The free-to-play title launched on June 2, 2022.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

July 25, 2022

1 Min Read
Diablo Immortal promotional art

Diablo Immortal has passed 20 million installs in under two months, according to developer Blizzard.

That's notable news given the free-to-play title's controversial use of loot boxes, which has prevented it from launching in some European regions -- blocking some players from accessing the game.

It would be fair to say that the Diablo community's reaction to the series' first freemium effort has been mixed, with Blizzard's tweet announcing the milestone having been met with a series of rather dry responses asking how many players have since uninstalled the title.

Diablo Immortal launched on June 2, 2022, for iOS and Android mobile platforms and PC -- although Blizzard president Mike Ybarra has reiterated that Immortal is meant to be played on mobile.

"We knew people would emulate it anyway, and that Windows 11 actually lets you with Android, so we figured we’d do some support but reinforce it’s a mobile game first," said Ybarra earlier this year.

It might've surpassed 20 million installs, but Diablo Immortal's launch hasn't been smooth sailing. Back in June, Blizzard's development partner NetEase announced it would be delaying the launch of Immortal in China so it could make "multiple optimization adjustments."

The news caused shares in the Chinese company to dip by 9 percent. Bloomberg has since reported that Diablo Immortal will now launch in China on July 25 (you're right, that's today), although according to the publication that date remains "subject to last minute changes."

The report also suggested the title was actually delayed because of a controversial Weibo post uploaded by NetEase's official Diablo Immortal account that was interpreted as criticism of Chinese president Xi Jinping.

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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