Diablo Immortal may be a small screen game, but that doesn’t mean it’s a small development effort. It is precisely for this reason that Activision Blizzard has postponed the release of Diablo Immortal to early 2022.
The action RPG was originally scheduled to appear on iOS and Android devices later this year, but Blizzard says developers need more time to refine PvP content, improve PvE experiences, and implement additional accessibility options. Here’s how developers write it in their blog post:
Following feedback from test participants in the Closed Alpha, our team optimized core and endgame functions. For example, we’re iterating PvP content like the Cycle of Controversy to make it more accessible, along with PvE content from the late game like the Helliquary to make it more engaging. We’re also working on bringing controller support to those who want to play our game in a different way. However, these changes and additional options for improving our gaming experience will not be implemented in the 2021 timeframe that we previously communicated. As a result, the game is now scheduled to be released in the first half of 2022, which will allow us to improve the game as a whole significantly.
Blizzard continues to describe specific features that it will focus on like adding PvE raids, customizing bounties, and improving challenge rifts. As for PvP customizations, Blizzard will be working on improving matchmaking, earning leaderboards, improving class balance, time to kill and other elements of the battlefield system, as well as making the endgame content of Cycle of Strife shine. All of this joins a series of changes to Progress and XP caps.
It seems that the developers are still in the early stages when it comes to getting Diablo Immortal to play well with gamepads.
“We are still working on the challenge of adapting the touchscreen controls seamlessly to a controller,” says the blog. “Making our game more accessible is paramount, and we’ll share more progress on that front as we get closer to beta in the future.”
Blizzard has other things on its plate right now. Activision Blizzard faces a sexual harassment and gender discrimination lawsuit from the state of California, and Blizzard President J. Allen Brack left the company today on allegations that he overlooked workplace abuse for years. Blizzard’s HR manager Jesse Meschuk also left the studio this week. A second lawsuit was filed today by shareholders alleging that Activision Blizzard failed to disclose potential regulatory issues related to the company’s discriminatory corporate culture.
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