Diablo Immortalis one of the most talked about games in the industry right now, but not for entirely good reasons. The recently released mobile title is free-to-play with a heavy reliance upon microtransactions that makes the game nigh-unplayable for many long-time fans of the franchise.
That said,Diablo Immortalis not the first example of a game facing backlash for what is seen as pay-to-win microtransaction systems. Yet the scale of controversy surroundingImmortalputs it firmly within comparison to some of the worst microtransaction controversies of all time.
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Diablo Immortal’s Microtransaction Controversy
The state ofDiablo Immortal’smicrotransactions has been a vocal point of contention among the game’s community, and it is clear to see why. Throughout the game, players can opt to purchase their way through what are otherwise time-consuming grinds to level up and obtain loot. Players can buy modifiers, crafting materials, buffs, and loot boxes among other things, all meant to enhance and expedite the experience. Certain players have reported spending up to$20,000 onDiablo Immortalwithout getting a single legendary gem, one of the higher-end items that most would assume is better attainable through in-game purchases.
Despite the vocal disdain toward microtransactions in the game, it is reported thatDiablo Immortalmade $24 million in its first two weeks, suggesting the formula has found an audience. With legendary gems only being available through microtransactions, many have posed that it could potentially cost up to $100,000 of real-world money to max-out a player character. Such figures have seen the game climb the ranks of microtransaction controversies.
Star Wars Battlefront 2’s Microtransaction Controversy
Despite the positive critical reception to DICE’sStar Wars Battlefront 2, it was subject to a significant amount of controversy upon release. The controversy was very similar in scale and profile toDiablo Immortal, as at launchBattlefront 2nudged players toward a purchasable in-game currency known as crystals. These crystals were predictably at a much higher value than the base currency of credits, which could be earned without payment. These crystals made unlocking key playable heroesan easier process, with doing so without payment taking roughly 40 hours of gameplay.
With core aspects of the game essentially locked behind paywalls, frustration reached a boiling point early into the game’s life. The backlash grew so strong thatEA removed microtransactions fromBattlefront 2for a small period to reevaluate prices, giving credence to how intense of a negative reception it received.
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Grand Theft Auto Online’s Microtransaction Controversy
The massively popular online mode forGrand Theft Auto 5is also notorious for its microtransactions.GTA Onlinehas proven so successful for Rockstarthat it was recently given its own standalone release.
GTA Onlineplayers can receive in-game cash via purchasable “Shark Cards,” with the most expensive “Megladon” version giving players $8 million of in-game currency for $99.99 USD. The impetus for purchasing in-game currency has only grown as the game releases more content over time, with the biggest apartments, cars, planes, and yachts requiring huge amounts of cash. For example,the Luxor Deluxe jet inGTA Onlinecosts players $10 million, requiring well over $100 of real-world money.
All the commodities inGTA Onlinecan be purchased with money accumulated via pay-free gameplay, however the time and effort required is sometimes outside the realm of possibility for fans. WithGTA Onlinegoing as far as releasing its ownsubscription service called GTA+, the scale of its in-game purchases perhaps even exceedsDiabloImmortal.
FIFA Ultimate Team’s Microtransaction Controversy
An ongoing example of microtransaction controversies comes fromanother EA franchise,FIFA. EA introduced the game mode “Ultimate Team” back inFIFA 09, which has remained a constant source of contention among fans ever since.
The Ultimate Team modesees players develop their own personal team out of a roster of players from real-world leagues and a variety of skill levels. The main goal of the mode is to improve one’s team over time, and eventually possess some of the best real-world players with strong stats to get the most in-game benefits.
Players can be bought from the in-game transfer market, with the price of higher-end players and their special card variants reaching upwards of millions of coins. In this way, the game mode almost necessitates opening in-game loot boxes or “packs” if a player wants any feasible chance of playing with sought-after cards. WiththeFIFAseries still dominating UK sale charts, a reliance on microtransactions appears to have become normalized within the community, setting it apart from the vocally disgruntled fans ofDiablo Immortal.
Diablo Immortalis available now on Mobile and PC.
