Diablo Immortal’s microtransactions have been the subject of controversy for days, but the developers have still decided to defend them, stating that they are only cosmetic and that they do not bypass the core gameplay.
Diablo Immortal cannot be sold in Belgium and the Netherlands due to its microtransactions, which are illegal in those countries. Joe Grubb, the lead designer of the project, however, reiterated that to use each class takes skill: He has to know how to play with a barbarian to be successful as a barbarian.
The Diablo Immortal internal store offers several coins, a battle pass and various upgrades, the latter designed to speed up the progression of the battle pass and receive rewards in the Rifts. However, Grubb states that there is no way to purchase equipment or experience points: One of the pillars we have followed is the best way to become more powerful in Diablo Immortal is to play.
In short, the alarms against microtransactions would be excessive and the game would follow a virtuous model, with purchases relegated to cosmetics alone. After all, a free-to-play Diablo will make the franchise accessible to a new audience, and this is Blizzard’s main interest.