Earlier today (April 25), Blizzard Entertainment finally announced the release date for the next, free-to-play installment in the Diablo franchise. Alongside this, it’s coming to PC, with full cross-play support and cross-progression. Though the press release notes that Diablo Immortal will be launching as an open beta on Windows when it launches in June. “The Open Beta on PC will contain all game features, including cross-play and cross-progression, and upon conclusion all progress will be maintained,” reads the press release. Blizzard president Mike Ybarra also provided a statement alongside the release date announcement, saying “The demons of the Burning Hells are ready to be slain in the most expansive Diablo game that Blizzard has ever released. “As Blizzard’s first game designed from the ground up for mobile, it was important to us to deliver an experience worthy of the franchise, so we did a lot of testing, incorporated a lot of feedback, and created a game that we’re very excited to share with players. We’re looking forward to unleashing this epic new entry in the Diablo franchise, and we can’t wait to join everyone in Sanctuary.” First announced in 2018, Diablo Immortal takes place between the events of the second and third game. There are six classes to choose from, with eight unique zones to explore. The game also features a “robus faction-based PvP system,” where players can join up to fight an “ongoing war, the top player earning the Eternal Crown and becoming leader of the Immortals. It’s worth noting that Activision Blizzard is still embroiled in a myriad of controversies at the company, receiving another lawsuit alleging discrimination and harassment in March. Though on the more positive end of things, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled in favour of Raven Software QA workers being able to vote to unionise.
