If you haven’t heard the news, Blizzard announced a new Diablo title over the weekend at BlizzCon 2018. However, it wasn’t a console title, or even a PC title, it was a mobile title called Diablo Immortal. From the moment it was announced (no, like the actual moment, the people at the panel were not happy with it and noted it to Blizzard), fans were not happy. And it’s gone viral just how unhappy they are. But now, they have support from a big name, Mark Kern, former producer of Diablo II.
As for why he matters, Diablo II was considered a masterpiece by all who played it. Yet, Blizzard has shied from directing sticking to this formula, which led to the very divisive Diablo III, and now, Diablo Immortal. On Twitter, Kern wrote many things about Blizzard, and they weren’t exactly nice.
“A lot of people have been asking for my thoughts on the whole “Diablo Immortal” fiasco. I hate to say it, but what you are seeing is Blizzard not understanding gamers anymore.”
He actually admits that Diablo Immortal could’ve worked, but not in the way that Blizzard did it and the reveal:
There is nothing wrong with having a mobile version of Diablo. In fact, I would have wanted one as an option. But the way it was hinted at, and presented, and the failure of Blizzard management to predict the backlash caught me my surprise. Blizzard used to be really gamer driven.
He also made sure to defend the fans who were disappointed by the announcement:
Blizzard gamers are not smugly “entitled.” Nor are they toxic, and they most certainly are not made about a mobile version of Diablo because they hates the wemyzn (the craziest blue-check theory I’ve seen so far).
This controversy is going to last until the next “true” Diablo game arises. When will that be? Only Blizzard knows.
