Diablo Immortal, the upcoming video game in the Diablo series, is now scheduled to launch in the first half of 2022, following Blizzard announcing that the game has been delayed.
Some gamers played Diablo Immortal, the controversial mobile spin-off, in December 2020 during the “closed alpha” phase, and many found the action role-playing game surprisingly fun to play on mobile phones.
The game was scheduled to launch sometime this year, but Blizzard announced on Tuesday, 3 August 2021, that it has been delayed.
On the official website, the Diablo Immortal team stated, “Following feedback provided by test participants of the closed alpha, our team has been tunning core and endgame features. We are iterating on player versus player (PvP) content like the Cycle of Strife to make it more accessible, alongside late-game player versus environment (PvE) content like the Helliquary to make it more engaging.”
The statement continued, “However, these changes and additional opportunities to improve our gameplay experience will not be realized in the 2021 timeframe we had previously communicated. The game is now planned for release in the first half of 2022, which will allow us to add substantial improvements to the whole game.”
The improvements include adding new PvE raids in the upcoming game, where bosses are now designed as a challenge for raids of eight players to overcome.
The team will also update Challenge Rifts, which will reward new upgrade materials to players, which cannot be obtained in other modes.
With regard to Diablo Immortal’s endgame and associated gear, Blizzard revealed that it is evaluating more ways to make legendary and top tier gear exciting and sought after, especially for players who have obtained the maximum level.
The company stated, “We want this end-game progression to be worthwhile, offering unique bonuses in the form of statistic boosts and special perks. After hitting level cap, Paragon levels increase the character’s power, so we are implementing a system that enables players with higher Paragon levels to receive more powerful items.”
The game was first announced at Blizzcon in 2018, and is expected to launch on Android and iOS in the first half of 2022.