This Isn't a Joke: 'Diablo Immortal' is Coming to PC

Stay awhile and listen: Diablo Immortal, the free-to-play mobile-first entry in the Diablo series, is headed to PC.

No, we're not kidding, as much as fans thought Blizzard was when the game was first announced in 2018. It's actually getting a PC release. Today, just in time for the debut of Activision Blizzard's Q1 2022 earnings report, Diablo Immortal was given a surprise PC version reveal, in addition to when you can expect the iOS and Android versions of the game to launch in their entirety: June 2.

On June 2, the PC Open Beta will debut, but the full version seems as though it'll be sometime further away than the mobile versions.

Diablo Immortal is, at its core, a free-to-play mobile MMORPG that requires players to remain online. It's set following the events of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, and is meant to introduce a rotation of new characters, story content, and additional goodies as part of a "living, breathing, and constantly evolving experience."

When the game debuts across devices, Diablo Immortal will feature cross-play and cross-progression. Players who previously participated in the public beta testing phase will be able to retain their progress, so there's one boon to having jumped into the game early, even if mobile devices weren't exactly the preferred mode of play. Additionally, the PC version will add controller and keyboard support, so you can play the game you prefer without having to change things up.

Following its public beta test period, Cheng and senior system designer Kris Zierhut announced they would be making several changes to the game based on player feedback, such as refined controller support, evaluation of the "Boon of Plenty" microtransactions, and the consolidation of clans and "Dark Houses" into one entity. Following this, developers targeted a launch in 2022 for the final version of the game.

But what's curious is, the reason behind Blizzard's about-face when it comes to releasing the game on PC. Instead of responding to fans' desires for the game to be on the platform, they announced that the decision was made because they thought they wouldn't be able to do the game "justice" on mobile and that players would likely all attempt to emulate it.

"On one hand, we felt that we wouldn’t be doing the title justice by releasing a game originally designed for mobile on PC, on the other hand, we wanted to make sure the game reached as many players as possible—especially our most dedicated PC fans," Blizzard explained. "The deciding factor was that we knew many of you would attempt to play this game through an emulator, thus leading us towards building a better experience."

Though the game has been wrought with controversy since its initial debut, it still looks like it has some potential, especially since it'll be available on the platform that started it all for Diablo. If you're interested in playing ahead of the official June 2 release, you can pre-register for the game to secure your spot.

And then kick back, relax, and wait some more for Diablo 4 news. It's gonna be a while...