Diablo 4 Esports: A Game Changer for Blizzard?
A Diablo 4 League would only add to Blizzard's success
The long-awaited Diablo 4 is in development and while fans look forward to getting their hands on it, I can't help but wonder - will Blizzard tap the game's esports potential?
Activision-Blizzard is already making waves in the esports world with its Overwatch and Call of Duty Leagues. Starcraft II helped launch esports into what it is today. World of Warcraft players duke it out in the Arena World Championship, and Hearthstone is taking the world by storm, (awww RIP Heroes of the Storm esports) - in fact, Hearthstone Masters just doubled the number of events in 2020.
So is adding Diablo 4 to the mix anything but a logical next step?
It's no secret that the future of esports is bright, especially for a company like Blizzard, who could have a leg up on the competition by having every game in their main catalog with an eports league. Blizzard has already dipped its toe into the Diablo esports water with the controversial Diablo: Immortal mobile game - hosting a number of 24-hour tournaments in China. We already know how fans reacted to the game overall, so it goes without saying that an official Diablo 4 PvP might fair better.
Blizzard may be one of the foremost game companies that establishes the model for what esports organization will eventually exhibit. They have been one of the leaders from the beginning and just this year three of the top 10 most popular games on Twitch in 2019 were Blizzard titles.
Should Blizzard create a League, the biggest hurdles that players would face are the high franchise fee - rumored to be a - and a lack of grassroots support from Blizzard.