To see the same kind of scenario played out again in Diablo Immortal -- which also has an auction house in which players can sell items like Legendary Gems to one another via a special currency that is obtainable through a second premium currency that can be purchased by real money D2R Items - is Blizzard not just failing to learn from the mistakes of the past of the franchise, but also seeming to be determined to repeat them.

Diablo as a whole is all about fighting off countless demons, obtaining more powerful loot, and increasing your character's ability to conquer larger and bigger obstacles. Being able to simply buy one's way into success whether it's with Legendary Crests as well as the auction house in the game, undermines the core of what Diablo as a brand is all about.

When Diablo Immortal was first announced at BlizzCon 2018 as mobile-only, it was met with a scathing reaction from players, who inquired whether the game's announcement was an April Fool's joke and if the game was also coming to PC. Blizzard stated that the players were the ones who were out of contact, asking "Do you have no phones?"

Although a large part of Diablo Immortal's terrible announcement was due Blizzard's extremely PC-centric players who were hoping for Diablo IV and instead getting something completely different, the negative response was also due to the legitimate reputation free-to-play mobile games have as being rife with predatory microtransactions D2R ladder items buy. The idea of a highly commercialized, pay-to-win Diablo game was the antithesis of everything Blizzard represented.