Buzz
The amount required for full gear in Diablo Immortal is sure to overwhelm many gamers completely.
Diablo Immortal has become a notorious title in the gaming community this year. From its tumultuous unveiling at BlizzCon 2018, the game remained relatively quiet for a considerable time. Only recently, after numerous limited trials, did it officially launch in early June.
Yet, Vietnamese gamers are still awaiting the official release, as the PC version's launch has been delayed from June 23rd to July 7th. However, they might have to wait even longer, given Diablo Immortal's issues with monetization. This has even impacted its review scores. On Metacritic, the game currently sits at a dismal 0.3 - a record-low score and a catastrophe for a gaming giant like Blizzard.
Fundamentally, Diablo Immortal isn't all bad, as players who don't spend money on the game note that the initial half of the gaming experience is quite enjoyable. The game boasts meticulous investment in graphics, gameplay, and storyline. However, the 'catastrophe' only occurs in the late stages when players are hindered from accessing top-tier content unless they pay up.
One crucial aspect of late-game grinding is obtaining high-quality gear - something typically reserved for cash spenders. Moreover, even spending money doesn't guarantee premium items; luck still plays a significant role. Diablo Immortal features a highly random system for acquiring 5-star Legendary Gems, and to obtain them, players need to invest a substantial amount of money. Theoretically, gamers would have to spend... over $15,000 to $25,000 to have a chance at acquiring a mythical gem.
However, that's not all about this fear-inducing 'money-sucking' scheme. Initially, the community believed that having full gear would only require 6 pieces of 5-star Legendary Gems, equivalent to... around $100,000 (approximately 2.3 billion VND). This is a substantial amount for many. However, recently, a Reddit user named ShiftYourCarcass proved this to be inaccurate. The cost for a Diablo Immortal player to dream of full gear in this game would fall around $540,000 (equivalent to 12.5 billion VND).
So, what's the reason behind such exorbitant spending? According to this gamer's explanation, Diablo Immortal has a hidden mechanism to drain the wallets of 'big spenders'. After upgrading a 5-star gem to level 10 and attaching it to a gear of rank 6 or higher, the gem will trigger a new mechanism called 'Awakening'. It will unlock 5 additional slots for players to stuff in 5 more gems.
To awaken a gem, you're forced to spend cash to purchase an item called 'Dawning Echo', priced at around $30 (approximately 690,000 VND). A player can equip a maximum of 36 5-star gems, hence the total cost for this endeavor escalates to $540,000.
That's not even considering the element of luck, as you're not always guaranteed the highest upgrade and could end up slipping further. Those unlucky might see the total amount skyrocketing to over $1 million. Therefore, it's no wonder why Diablo Immortal is despised by gamers worldwide.
