Like many gamers out there, the Diablo franchise has always been one of my favorites. However, the latest iteration, Diablo Immortal, has faced some luck warm review. But perhaps some post-launch content can change that.

For some background, Diablo Immortal is an uncompromising AAA Diablo experience featuring all the unbridled mayhem of the genre-defining action role-playing game franchise is known for but now in a massively multiplayer online world. Play anytime and anywhere with full cross-play and cross-progression between mobile and PC.

As the first-ever MMOARPG of the series, Diablo Immortal offers rich social mechanics, a massive shared world where you will encounter other players, intense eight player-boss raid encounters, and more.

The new-ish story takes place between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III. The Lieutenant of Diablo himself, Skarn, is on a quest to gather the shattered pieces of the corrupted Worldstone and bring Sanctuary to its knees. With Tyrael presumed dead, players will partner with new and familiar characters in an expansive journey through 8 unique zones to gather the shards first.

As the fate of Sanctuary in their hands, players will choose between six iconic Diablo classes–Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer, or Wizard–and embark on a journey through eight unique zones and the great city of Westmarch. They will join up with new and familiar Diablo characters, including the franchise’s patriarch Deckard Cain, on an expansive quest to hunt down the shattered pieces of the corrupted Worldstone before the forces of the Burning Hells can gather them for their own sinister plans in an epic all-new story taking place between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III.

As mentioned, Diablo Immortal features a MMOARPG (massively multiplayer online action-RPG) social experience that’s completely new to the series. Players will share a massive world with others as they explore Sanctuary, form Warbands with up to eight members to take on group challenges such as the intense Helliquary raid bosses, and join Clans with up to 150 friends to earn challenging Clan Achievements.

Diablo Immortal also features a robust faction-based PvP system. With the Cycle of Strife, players can band together to fight in an ongoing war in which the top player of the server will earn the Eternal Crown to become the leader of the Immortals. This puts them in the position of having to continuously defend their reign across a series of modes including brutal 1v30 showdowns.

Here are some notes from the developers:

Since taking their first steps in Diablo Immortal, adventurers have vanquished countless demons, loosened the hold of the Burning Hells over Sanctuary, and tracked down fragments of the shattered Worldstone. Today, we’re excited to share details on our first new content drop since launch and provide a preview of our next batch of new content to come. Before we dig in, let’s give you insight into our post-launch content philosophy and address player concerns around in-game bugs and bots.

It’s our intention for Diablo Immortal to be a game that you can forge friendships over while felling adversaries together and enjoy playing for many years to come. As we’ve mentioned in the past, Diablo Immortal will receive frequent content updates, supplying new Helliquary bosses, in-game events, expansions, and more—all of which will be free.

The team is constantly monitoring your feedback and are excited to introduce multiple bug fixes with today’s content update. We also have a blog dedicated to communicating known issues for the PC Open Beta version of Immortal and when we have implemented hotfixes or patches for these issues. Recently, we have received reports of bots in Diablo Immortal—we are committed to continually monitoring all bot reports and will respond with disciplinary action as needed to ensure these accounts do not create a negative playing experience for our community. If you come across any bots while playing Diablo Immortal, please use the in-game reporting tool to alert us. This ensures we receive the reported player’s UID.

Season Two Battle Pass: Bloodsworn

The devotees of the Countess, the wicked Bloodsworn, have risen up in revolt throughout the Dark Wood. A new Battle Pass devoted to the Bloodsworn’s valor has arrived, and with it, Season Two begins on July 7 at 3:00 a.m. server time. The Bloodsworn Battle Pass is host to 40 ranks-worth of challenges and rewards, such as Legendary Gems, Crests, Hilts, and more.

For adventurers seeking additional treasures from their Battle Pass ranks, we have two paid versions they can upgrade their Battle Pass to for the full duration of the season: the Empowered Battle Pass and Collector’s Empowered Battle Pass.

Empowered Battle Pass: Includes all rank rewards from the free standard Battle Pass but also unlocks an Empowered track that provides additional rewards at each rank. Plus, you’ll receive the fearsome Bloodsworn Weapon cosmetic, unlocked at rank one, and the thorn-covered Bloodsworn Armor cosmetic, unlocked at rank 40.

Collector’s Empowered Battle Pass: Gives you access to all rank rewards and cosmetics from the Empowered Battle Pass. Plus, the Bloodsworn Avatar Frame, Bloodsworn Portal cosmetic, and a ten-rank boost, all provided immediately after upgrading.

The Season Two Battle Pass only runs until August 4 at 3:00 a.m. server time—begin slaying demons and climbing your way through the ranks today!

New Helliquary Raid Boss: Vitaath the Shivering Death

Rayek has located another one! But he’s going to need the help of a few hardened adventurers to dispatch this glacial threat. Emerging from the icy depths of the Frozen Tundra, Vitaath the Shivering Death, will stop at nothing to encase all of Sanctuary in ice. This laconic demon stalks her prey cloaked in frozen wind and gives chase on wings of ice. She relishes nothing so much as the moment her targets find themselves unable to move.

If you have what it takes, assemble your group of battle-ready adventurers, visit Rayek’s Helliquary in Westmarch, and bring an end to Vitaath’s ice age of terror—glory and rewards await you upon success!

Hungering Moon Weekend Event

The moon is hungry, and it demands blood. . . perhaps even yours! You, adventurer, gaze upon the moon—bask in its hallowed glow, heed its howl for sustenance, and lunar-laced blessings you shall be bestowed. Fulfilling the moon’s demands will earn you Moonslivers, which can be traded for Blessings. After acquiring seven Blessings you will have curried enough goodwill with the moon to trade these in for a random reward. Offer enough blessings to the moon and it will even present you with its favor.

We welcome brave adventurers to lend their hand in satiating the moon’s hunger from July 15 3:00 a.m. until July 18 3:00 a.m. server time.

What’s to Come

Blizzard and the Diablo Immortal team would like to thank you for your time spent defending Sanctuary. This patch is just a start. We’ve been collecting suggestions and feedback for the game since launch and look forward to sharing more updates in future patches. While we don’t want to entirely spoil the fun, we will leave you with this: Class Change, alongside other additional new content, is coming your way in our next update later this month.

We’ll see you in Sanctuary!
-The Diablo Immortal Team

Balance Changes

Wizard

Arcane Wind
- Damage increased from 54, 72(fully charged) to 60, 80(fully charged)
- Range increased from 3.3, 5.5(fully charged) to 4.5, 6.5(fully charged)
Arcane Wind Legendary: Syldra’s Fang
- Damage increased from 57.6 to 60
- Range increased from 5.5 to 6.5
Lightning Nova (also affects Legendary affixes):
- Damage increased from 25.2 to 34.7
- Multi-hit Damage increased from 70% to 75%

Monk

Exploding Palm
- Damage (non-Explosion) increased from 17.5 to 25
- Range changed from 3.5 (90-degree angle) to 3*4.5 (rectangle)
Exploding Palm Legendary: Scolding Storm
- Damage (non-Explosion) increased from 17.5 to 25
- Range changed from 3.5 (90-degree angle) to 3*4.5 (rectangle)
Exploding Palm Legendary: Path of the Present
- Damage (non-Explosion) increased from 19.32 to 25
Exploding Palm Legendary: Reaching Rebuke
- Damage (non-Explosion) increased from 19.8 to 25

Bug Fixes

To see the newest bug fixes and feature updates added for the PC Open Beta version of Diablo Immortal, visit this PC-specific blog.

Gameplay

Adjusted monster spawn logic to reduce the effectiveness of standing in one place in the Library of Zoltun Kulle and Mount Zavain to farm the same spawn point repeatedly.
Adjusted the way auto-targeting will work after a player casts the same skill over a sustained duration.

Developer’s Note: The previous two changes were made to remove the reward of repeating a small rotation of attacks while standing in one place, such as the behavior of some common botting.

Updated the ability description of Chip of Stoned Flesh from “Each time you cause an enemy loss of control” to “Each time you cause an enemy total loss of control” to clarify which effects cause the gem to proc.

Developer’s Note: The gem’s explosive effect is only triggered by total loss of control (effects such as stun and fear), not all crowd control effects (such as slow and chill).

Fixed an issue where some class abilities would not play audio.
Fixed an issue that would cause Resonance and Combat Rating to display as 0.
Fixed an issue that caused some doorways to block bosses and other large monsters.
Fixed an issue that would cause crests to be deducted from disconnected party members after an Elder Rift was cancelled.
Fixed an Armory interaction issue with items from the Warband Stash.
Fixed multiple issues that would cause characters to fall through the world.
Fixed an issue that would allow players to enter a Challenge Rift ahead of party members who have higher latency.
Fixed an issue that caused Resonance to increase when swapping gems through the Stash.
Upgrade materials and Dawning Echoes will now be properly returned to players after destroying the upgraded or Awakened item.
Removed the Paragon Level requirements for some quests.
Fixed an issue where Chests of Glory were not shared with all party members.
Fixed an issue that prevented players from using Primary Attack after being interrupted by enemies.
Experience Globes will now drop in a smaller radius after killing a monster.

Developer’s Note: Players have expressed frustration with how XP globes are currently dropping in-game, as they would fly out in a random direction from the killed monster. This patch will reduce the radius of how far away they can drop.

Cycle of Strife

Fixed an issue with some Shadow Contracts that would immediately fail upon entering the quest zone.
The Immortal Overthrow buff will now clear upon entering a Challenge Rift.
Fixed an issue that would cause the Immortal to knock players out of the arena during Shadow War.
Fixed an issue that prevented claiming Shadow Contract rewards.
Fixed an issue that would cause players to become stuck during some Shadow Contract missions.
Fixed an issue that would prevent the Corvus Expedition from completing.
If a Dark Clan leader has not selected a Dark Clan objective, one will automatically be selected on Saturdays.

Battlegrounds

Adjusted the Battleground preparation UI so that players are properly randomized between attack and defense. Previously, players could determine if they were attacking or defending based on this UI.
Fixed an issue that would cause players to be put back into queue after entering a Battleground.
Added a mechanism to prevent players from attacking the Ancient Heart before Phase three has begun.

NPC

Fixed an issue that would cause Lieutenant Ralvar to become stuck.
Fixed an issue where some quest NPCs may not be interactable after a cutscene.
Fixed an issue that caused The Unspoken NPC to be invisible to players.

Fixed an issue that would cause the HUD to become invisible after triggering the Cycle’s End cutscene.
Fixed an issue that would cause Clan information to be bugged during the end of the Cycle.
Added an exit button in the Domain of Horror.
Fixed an issue that prevented Clan invitations.
Fixed an issue that would cause the Quest Tracker to fill with blank entries after exiting the Path of Blood.
Fixed an issue where some UI modals could not be dismissed.
Server recommendations will now be based on language selection.
Fixed an issue that prevented players from opening the Battle Pass.

Visual

Fixed camera issues that would occur while fighting Lassal the Flame-Spun.
Fixed an issue that would cause a black screen when teleporting after upgrading Legendary Gems.

Server

Fixed an issue where players might get stuck connecting to Battle.net when interacting with the EULA.

In addition, on top of the hand-crafted fluid touch controls on mobile, Diablo Immortal will also have integrated controller support. For those who choose to play on PC, there will be traditional Diablo point-and-click keyboard and mouse functionality and WASD character movement for the first time in the franchise.

Diablo Immortal will be free-to-play with optional in-game purchases, ensuring the core game experience will always be free. Over 30 million players have already pre-registered across all platforms to gain access as soon as the game launches, preparing themselves for the battles to come. All players will receive the stunning Horadrim Cosmetic Set to celebrate this significant milestone when the game launches. This is just the beginning, as new content will be released regularly to players for free in the years to come, including new zones, dungeons, and character classes.

So warm up your gaming PCs and gaming laptops!

Diablo Immortal is available on PC (via Battle.net).

‘Diablo Immortal’ Post-Launch Details