Diablo Immortal streamer destroys $16K gem in protest, deletes game live

Diablo Immortal Art Combat Source: Blizzard Entertainment

What you need to know

Diablo Immortal came out on mobile earlier this year.
Its heavy monetization has made some headlines in its opening weeks.
A streamer has destroyed a gem that cost him $16,000 live on Twitch, before deleting the game in protest.

A New Zealand Diablo Immortal streamer who spent nearly $16,000 trying to get a rare 5-star gem immediately destroyed it live on Twitch before deleting the game from his PC in protest.

As reported by VGC, Quin69 had been trying to get a 5-star gem in Diablo Immortal since the game was released on June 2, spending over $25,000 NZD (15,997 USD) in the process:

I can't believe I just looted my first 5/5⭐ gem and it only cost me $25,165.57 NZD

Thanks @Blizzard_Ent @DiabloImmortal for this authentic diablo experience. pic.twitter.com/jqf5AevZ7w
— Quin (@quinrex) June 18, 2022

The stream went south quickly after Quin69 finally acquired the gem, stating "It's over" and immediately uninstalling the game. After remembering he hadn't taken a screenshot he reinstalled the game, in the meantime deciding he was going to destroy the gem in protest. Sure enough, he used the 5-star gem to power up a useless 1-star item, left his clan, deleted his hero, and then uninstalled the game live on stream. He told his viewers "F##k you, f#####g Blizzard."

As noted, Diablo Immortal's microtransactions have drawn some pretty staunch criticism since its release, Jez Corden and our friends at Windows Central noting this week how the game and its microtransactions almost feel like they are designed to induce spending:

Diablo Immortal is specifically, and aggressively, designed with the intent to amplify and curate those very same addictive tendencies I try to bury. The game on-ramps you shamelessly with scaling rewards that are cheap to start with, but gradually increase in price, emblazoned with arbitrary "400% added value!" to trick you into thinking you're getting a deal. The game's Crests modify Elder Rifts to increase the chance of loot and gems dropping, which spew out of the chest in a familiarly satisfying fashion to Diablo III, poking at reward triggers that Diablo III players have already learned to enjoy.

It emerged shortly after launch that you can max out your character in the game to the tune of $110,000, making the best Diablo Immortal builds unreachable for most users.

The ongoing storyline continues to be a stain on an otherwise extremely promising mobile experience that boasts great gameplay, monsters, loot, accessibility, and strong performance on many of Apple's best iPhones and iPads.