Diablo Immortal has garnered fairly positive critic reviews, but its user score on Metacritic is taking quite a bashing and the reason for this is seemingly the microtransactions the game is using. There has been quite a backlash after a player calculated it would cost $110k to fully max out a character, something completely impossible to do for free-to-play gamers.
Diablo Immortal’s microtransactions issue
A character in Diablo Immortal can be leveled up in three ways. There is XP that will unlock levels and skills up to level 60, the current level cap in the game. Then there’s equipment that can be upgraded to suit a player’s style. Both of these can be done through regular gameplay by any player without needing to spend a cent on the game. The issue starts when considering the third way: the Legendary Gems. According to a breakdown from Bellular News (thanks GameRant), it will cost a player $110,000 to fully upgrade a character’s Legendary Gems as it’s a feat not possible for free-to-play gamers.
Legendary Gems can be obtained by putting a crest into the Elder Rift. Free-to-play players get 1-3 Legendary Crests per month, which guarantee Legendary Gems although the star rating of those gems will vary. Most free-to-play players will never see a five-star gem as these have a pitiful 0.05% chance of emerging from the Elder Rift. Legendary Gems can also be purchased using real money, either by trading through the in-game marketplace or by purchasing Legendary Crests, although the latter doesn’t guarantee a Gem as these are randomly awarded. The result is either a ten-year grind using some real money or up to $110,000 spent on purchasing gems.
While the Metacritic review score sits at 81 from critics on mobile, the player score sits at just 0.7 (the PC version is yet to be scored). Around 94% of player reviews are negative, complaining about a “blatant cash-grab”, ““, ““, and the fact that “grinding is absolutely insane”. This is unlikely to change anytime soon either.
In other news, the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase will get an extended show a couple of days later, and ARK 2 will be showing its face. Elsewhere, Xbox Design Lab is currently down for maintenance.
