The highly anticipated Blizzard mobile game Diablo Immortal has been delayed until 2022. The game was expected to launch on Android and iOS later this year but fans will have to wait a little longer.
Speaking in a press release, Blizzard explained that the studio wanted to take extra time to improve the game experience, following feedback from players in closed alpha testing.
According to the press release, Diablo Immortal “is now planned for release in the first half of 2022, which will allow [the developer] to add substantial improvements to the whole game” and that this is a result of “feedback provided by test participants of the Closed Alpha.”
Some of the refinements that the developer is planning to implement include making PvP encounters more accessbile for all players and ensuring that end-game PvE content is engaging for returning users. The team is also working on adding controller support for those who don’t enjoy using touch controls.
Activision Blizzard is currently experiencing upheaval after being sued by the state of California over sexual harassment allegations. On Tuesday, Blizzard president J. Allen Brack announced he left the company after 16 years to “pursue new opportunities.”
It is unknown if the fallout from the lawsuit is directly responsible for delay of Diablo Immortal. However, Senior System Designer Jeff Hamilton took to Twitter recently to reveal that production on World of Warcraft had grinded to a halt.
“Activision’s response to this is currently taking a group of world-class developers and making them so mad and traumatized they’re rendered unable to keep making a great game,” he wrote.
Over 2,000 current and former Blizzard employees have signed a petition condemning Blizzard’s “abhorrent” response to the lawsuit.