Blizzard Entertainment is being investigated by a law firm after it allegedly misrepresented the effects of the purchasable Blessing of the Worthy gem in Diablo: Immortal.
This legendary item now lies at the heart of a potential class action lawsuit from the firm Migliaccio & Rathod LLP, which is investigating Activision Blizzard on the basis that it misrepresented the effects of the Blessing of the Worthy gem.
As reported by Polygon, the description of this gem – which has since been changed to accurately reflect the item’s capabilities – stated that the gem would grant a 20% chance to deal damage to enemies that amounted to 12% of the player’s maximum life.
But the damage dealt by the gem is actually equivalent to 12% of the player’s current life, which means the gem becomes less effective the lower the player’s health gets.
The legendary gem was available to purchase either by itself or as part of various bundles, some of which cost over $100. Members of the Diablo Immortal community have since voiced their anger at the misrepresentation in a reddit post announcing an update to the item’s description. The developer also gave players a set of free gems by way of an apology for the error.
“Rather than offer refunds or some form of compensation, Blizzard has instead responded to the Blizzard community by stating that they will change the item’s text description to reflect its actual effect, at level three,” read a post on the law firm’s website, where it is encouraging potential claimants to get in touch.
“This practice essentially amounts to a bait-and-switch, since a purchasable item was advertised with one effect that players wanted and ended up with something completely different.”
IGN noted in our 6/10 review of Diablo: Immortal that, whilst the title’s “monster slaying action is visceral and satisfying”, that Blizzard Entertainment’s restrictive approach to monetisation “sour the end game experience, and leave plenty of room for improvement”.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
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