Activision Blizzard's new game Diablo Immortal is facing a storm of criticism

In early June, Activision Blizzard released the latest addition to one of its biggest game series, Diablo Immortal.

The launch quickly became controversial when the developer announced that the game would not be released in the Netherlands and Belgium because these countries have a ban on loot boxes in games.

Now, a week later, new criticism hails over the mobile and computer game.

Diablo Immortal which is free to download and play is accused of having a comprehensive system that urges the user to pay with their real money inside the game to reach the highest level.

Something that in the gaming world is called "Pay to win", pay to win.

- People are extremely critical of this, says game journalist Anton Vretander.

- There are players who have made calculations that show that if you are to play the game in free mode, it takes just over ten years to reach the highest level, so it is not really an option.

Several games on the list of worst ranked

It is not only in the comment fields that players raise their voices against the industry giant.

Metacritic is a website where the consumer can put their own rating on games, movies and music.

There is now Diablo Immortal Activision blizzard's second title to get a rating that is below 1 in 100 for applying a "pay to win" system.

- These ratings say very little about the games but more about the game developers.

Fans feel let down and from their perspective, the company now prioritises a thick wallet over actual skill in the game, says Anton Vretander.

Game expert: Blizzard does not feel great

This is not the gaming giant's first turn in good winds.

For the past two years, the company has been shaken by allegations of sexual harassment and poor working conditions.

The launch of Diablo Immortal, Anton Vretander believes, is one in a series of symptoms that the company is not feeling well.

- I think there is a big gap between being a limited company that wants to make money and satisfying the promises you have made to the players.

- Then the company is in a situation where it just had an internal structure that did not work, which also damages the share value.

So in the end, no one wins.

Kulturnyheterna has contacted Activision Blizzard for a comment.

See and hear the criticism in the clip above.