Diablo Immortal
Co-developed by Blizzard and NetEase, Diablo Immortal is the series' first game built for phones; free to play on Android, iOS and Windows since 2022, it offers a Turkish interface.
Diablo Immortal is an action role-playing game co-developed by Blizzard Entertainment and the Chinese company NetEase. It was released on 2 June 2022 for Android, iOS and Windows. Blizzard presented it as the first Blizzard game designed from the ground up for mobile.
Interest was high before launch: according to Activision Blizzard in April 2022, more than 30 million players had pre-registered across all platforms.
What is it?
The story is set between Diablo II and Diablo III. Fragments of the Worldstone, shattered at the end of Diablo II, are scattered across Sanctuary, and demons want to seize them. The player is a hero trying to gather the shards and stop the threat.
Classes are familiar from the series, including Barbarian, Wizard, Monk, Demon Hunter, Necromancer and Crusader, each with its own abilities.
How is it played?
The game adapts Diablo's classic top-down layout to touchscreens: the left thumb moves the character, ability buttons sit on the right. On PC, keyboard and mouse or a gamepad can be used.
Unlike earlier entries, Diablo Immortal is an online world. Players meet others in towns and open areas, team up for dungeons, form lasting groups and take part in player-versus-player content.
Platforms and business model
Diablo Immortal runs on Android, iOS and Windows; the PC version launched as an open beta on Battle.net. According to Blizzard, progress carries across platforms.
It is free to play with in-game purchases. Downloading and playing the story is free, but the sale of items that strengthen characters was heavily debated by players and the press at launch. The App Store lists the game as 17+.
Turkish language and Turkey
Among the Blizzard games covered here, Diablo Immortal is the only one with a Turkish interface: Turkish appears among the supported languages in its App Store listing. A Turkish voice-over is not stated there and could not be verified.
Given that mobile gaming is far more widespread in Turkey than PC or console gaming, this game became many players' first contact with the Diablo universe.
Why did it draw attention?
Diablo Immortal was controversial from its announcement. When it was revealed at BlizzCon 2018, the reaction of fans expecting a PC game spread widely online. At launch, its gameplay and visuals were generally well received, while its monetisation became the centre of criticism.
Still, it became an important example of how a major PC and console series can move to phones. Smooth touch controls and short sessions reached an audience beyond the series' core fans.
It is also a visible product of the BlizzardโNetEase partnership. Although the companies' relationship has had ups and downs, the game keeps receiving updates, suggesting the series' mobile future is still being written.
