Just a few days before it was due to release, Diablo Immortal has been delayed in China. According to a Reuters report, word of the delay came shortly after the official Diablo Immortal on Chinese social network Weibo was suspended.
A reason for the suspension wasn't provided, but a Red Candles was also shut down in that case, and the game was ultimately removed from Steam.
There's not a direct connection cited between the Weibo suspension and the game delay, but it would be an awfully big coincidence if the two events were completely unconnected. NetEase, which co-developed Diablo Immortal with Google translated), saying only that it wanted to make "optimization adjustments" ahead of launch, including for "a wider range of models and devices," and "experience, network, and performance optimizations."
Another possible point of contention is Diablo Immortal's free-to-play monetization, which has been pausing approvals for new game releases for almost a year. NetEase may be reluctant to try its luck with a game perceived by many as predatory right now, especially if it's already in the doghouse over the Winnie the Pooh business.
A new release date for Diablo Immortal in China hasn't been set, but NetEase said in the delay announcement that it's putting together a "thank-you package" with legendary equipment and materials as an apology for the delay. The package will be available to all players once the game goes live. I've reached out to Activision Blizzard for more information and will update if I receive a reply.
