If some were expecting a mea culpa, Blizzard prefers to continue to defend its free to play full of microtransactions. The publisher takes the floor on the Diablo Immortal controversy.
Despite the controversies, Diablo Immortal filled Blizzard’s coffers at breakneck speed. Every day, players jump on microtransactions to spend crazy sums. Obviously it will not surprise anyone that the publisher defends body and soul its economic model.
Blizzard Defends Diablo Immortal Microtransactions
The boss of Blizzard does not budge. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Mike Ybarra returned to the Diablo Immortal controversy. A little reminder just in case, the mobile game is under fire from critics despite the positive feedback on the title itself and its gameplay. What is problematic is its aggressive economic model which pushes players towards microtransactions and therefore to take out the blue card. Some players have done the math, it would cost at least 100,000 euros to reach the maximum level of the game. And yet, the strategy works since Diablo Immortal brings millions to Blizzard.
However, the American publisher defends itself: it is not a pay-to-win. ” 99.5% of the game is literally accessible without having to spend a single penny proudly proclaims the boss of Blizzard. ” Our philosophy has always been to deliver great gameplay and ensure that hundreds of millions of people can play the entire campaign at no cost. Monetization comes at the end of the game. “Not sure that it will calm the players, even if obviously no one is forcing them to spend their money. But Diablo Immortal never misses an opportunity to get them to pay.