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NetEase quietly launches Diablo Immortal in China after month-long delay, but some players are disappointed

  • NetEase did not make any social media announcement about the new launch date of the game, which is still banned from posting on Weibo
  • The latest instalment of the Diablo franchise was originally set for release in China last month, along with an international debut in the same month

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Diablo Immortal, co-developed by NetEase and Blizzard Entertainment, has launched in mainland China after a month-long delay. Photo: Handout
Ann CaoandYaling Jiang

NetEase, China’s second-largest video gaming company by revenue, quietly launched its anticipated Diablo Immortal mobile game in the country after a month-long delay.

The mobile game, the latest sequel to the 25-year-old Diablo franchise co-created by US game developer Blizzard Entertainment, landed on Apple’s App Store on the Chinese mainland and several local Android app stores on Sunday midnight.

Last month, NetEase announced it would postpone the game’s debut in the country just days ahead of the original release date of June 23. It came after microblogging platform Weibo banned the game’s account from putting up new posts for “violation of related laws and regulations”.
A NetEase office in Hangzhou, China. Photo: Shutterstock
A NetEase office in Hangzhou, China. Photo: Shutterstock

Weibo did not elaborate on the precise reason for the ban, which was still in place as of Monday. NetEase said last month the game was in need of adjustment and optimisation to give better experiences to Chinese players.

The company declined to comment on when it would be allowed to post on the game’s Weibo account again.

Diablo Immortal had been on track to become one of China’s biggest game releases this year. It has already proved to be a global hit after launching internationally in June, becoming the third-highest-earning Chinese mobile game that month, according to app analytics firm Sensor Tower.

Following last month’s setback in China, however, NetEase refrained from making any social media announcement about the game’s new launch date, although the company did set up pre-launch marketing pages in Apple’s App Store and XD’s TapTap online game store.

The game’s release in China could help calm the nerves of industry players in the world’s largest video gaming market, worried about a tightened regulatory environment and slowing economy.

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