Diablo Immortal may never be available in China.
Blizzard's free-to-play mobile game has been a controversial topic in the gaming community thanks to the abundance of microtransactions that are required in the end-game to advance effectively. The game earned over $24 million in one week, although this could be due to streamers like Asmongold purposely paying as much as possible to prove how much of a "scam" the game is.
The mobile game was set to launch in China on June 22, but the game's Chinese website now says otherwiThe Chinese site reads: "We are sorry to inform you that Diablo: Immortal's scheduled launch will be delayed."
Many speculated that the delay was due to the pay-to-win controversies, which have even reached US Senator Ted Cruz. But developers have claimed it's just a delay to give the team time to implement some fixes and improvements.
But is it really graphics quality that has the game indefinitely suspended from release in China? While Blizzard's update stated that the team believes “the game experience will be smoother in the official launch version” and contain "better content," it should be noted that China's social media platform Weibo has banned Diablo Immortal's account.
On Twitter, many expressed skepticism at the announcement, not believing that the reason for the suspension was due to in-game improvements. Many felt that China was not allowing the mobile game due to its exploitative and addictive qualities.
Diablo Immortal continues to face controversy and backlash from the gaming and streaming community.
