Legal Firm Begins Looking Into Blizzard Regarding Diablo Immortal
Lawyers have begun to closely scrutinize Blizzard Entertainment due to their recent launch of Diablo Immortal, indicating a potential lawsuit. Wealthy video game releases such as Diablo Immortal are often a prime target for settlement money, and this could put the company in a difficult legal situation.
In the early part of November 2022, it was reported that Diablo Immortal had taken in more than $300 million. This was an impressive feat, especially since it had only been released in June. In just five months, it had nearly made as much money as some of its top competitors did in twice the amount of time due to its use of microtransactions, which are prevalent in many “free-to-play” titles in the gaming world.
Migliaccio & Rathod LLP, a legal firm, has initiated an investigation into whether Activision Blizzard provided false information in regards to a gem purchasable by players. The “Blessing of the Worthy” gem was said to deal damage to enemies that was 12% of the player’s maximum life when, in actuality, it was 12% of the current life, thus making the gem less effective when the player had taken damage. Blizzard updated the description and provided free gems as compensation, yet this was not enough for the law firm, who argue that refunds should have been issued. This is especially true considering how one player spent $100,000 on the game, Diablo Immortal, and was unable to use it for PvP battles.
The business has set up a survey on their site, looking for feedback from players who may have been affected by false advertising regarding the in-game item. It is unlikely to be a challenge for them to find those willing to fill out the form, taking into consideration the dissatisfaction many in the gaming community expressed after Diablo Immortal came out and the fact that it could cost up to $500,000 to completely max out a character. This level of monetization tends to both frustrate and cause financial burden.
When Migliaccio & Rathod LLP has collected enough feedback from respondents, they will have a better idea of how to approach the potential legal action, which is likely to be a class action lawsuit. This wouldn’t be the first time, as Blizzard once found itself facing a potential lawsuit concerning Hearthstone card packs. Whether or not a similar situation arises from the problematic item description with Diablo Immortal is yet to be seen, but Blizzard doesn’t have a favorable outlook.