Controversy Isn't Slowing Diablo Immortal Down

"Diablo Immortal" is one of the most controversial games in recent memory. When the once-renowned Blizzard first announced "Diablo Immortal" as a mobile-only title, hardcore "Diablo" fans everywhere were quick to voice their disapproval. Yet Blizzard didn't give up on the game, and this decision seems to have paid off, as critics and players agree that there is much fun to be had in "Diablo Immortal."

However, something besides the gameplay of "Diablo Immortal" has enraged gamers. Many were disappointed that although "Diablo Immortal" is free, it's extremely pay-to-win. For example, a character with fully upgraded gear can cost the player upwards of $110,000 in real world money. This outraged hardcore "Diablo," who bombed review sites leaving the new "Diablo" entry with an abysmal Metacritic rating.

The controversies surrounding "Diablo Immortal" don't end there. The predatory loot boxes in the game resulted in it being banned in multiple regions because of certain governments' strict gambling laws. More recently, "Diablo Immortal" made waves in China after one of the official "Diablo Immortal" social media accounts mocked President Xi as a joke. Because of this interaction, some believe the game may never release in China. Even though Blizzard is suffering from a barrage of bad publicity, according to recent reports, "Diablo Immortal" is still performing very well. 

According to data collated by Mobilegamer.biz, "Diablo Immortal" has been downloaded by a staggering number of gamers. Specifically, The data taken from Appmagic figures suggest that only 30 days after the game's release, "Diablo Immortal" was downloaded over 10 million times. To put this into perspective, Blizzard's previous "Diablo" title, Diablo 3," didn't even sell 10 million copies in its first month, according to Blizzard's financial reports. Of course, "Diablo Immortal" has the benefit of being free to play. So is "Diablo Immortal" even making money from all of these downloads?

The answer is yes. The Appmagic reports suggest that only 30 days after the game's release, "Diablo Immortal" has netted Blizzard over $49 million. Moreover, the game even racked in around $2.4 million in a single day on June 11. In comparison, the popular "Apex Legends Mobile" only brought in around $11.6 million in its first month.

It is no surprise this news comes to the dismay of many hardcore gamers who despise mobile games, especially pay-to-win style titles. It's even worse knowing that Blizzard, with its endless stream of controversies, has proven that anyone can make a hefty amount of cash on a mobile game.