For the game’s combat and navigation, Blizzard’s Diablo Immortal’s first closed beta test supports a variety of controllers.
When Blizzard announced the mobile-exclusive Diablo Immortal during BlizzCon, fans had mixed feelings about the new installment in the dungeon-crawling franchise. After pushing back the release date of Diablo Immortal until 2022, Blizzard has been conducting alpha testing throughout 2021 and has just announced the launch of the game’s first closed beta.
A feature that fans of the franchise have been requesting for years will be included in the game’s first beta testing phase.
For the long-running series of dungeon crawlers, Diablo Immortal has accompanied a slew of already-released and upcoming titles. Diablo 2 Resurrected, a complete remake of the popular Diablo 2 game, was released earlier this year, and Diablo 4 was announced a year after Diablo Immortal was revealed. After a lull in content following Diablo 3 and its expansions, Diablo has seen a resurgence in recent years, and the mobile game’s first closed beta testing will include something fans have been asking for: Diablo 3. Support for all controllers.
The first closed beta of Diablo Immortal will include full controller support for navigation and combat, giving players an alternative to the standard touch screen control scheme found in most mobile games. Caleb Arsenaux, Diablo Immortal’s production director, explained that while controller support was not originally planned, the team reconsidered after receiving significant fan feedback on the subject.
It should be noted that the game’s menus will not be supported by controllers in the first closed beta, so players will have to navigate the menus using the touch screen. Several controllers will be supported in the closed beta test, including the Dualshock 4, Razer Kishi, and Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers, among others.
The dual analog sticks can be used to move and aim abilities, while the face buttons on the controllers will be used for basic and ultimate attacks. By default, the bumper and trigger buttons will be assigned skills. The layout of the game’s controls can also be re-assigned by beta testers to better suit their preferences.
During the testing phase of Diablo Immortal’s first closed beta, players will be able to try out a new class. Along with the pre-existing classes like Monk and Barbarian that were featured in Diablo Immortal’s alpha, the beta also includes the addition of Necromancer, a classic Diablo class.
The beta test will begin with Canada and Australia as the only countries participating, before expanding to Korea, Japan, and China in the coming weeks. While fans will most likely have to wait for the next true Diablo game in the main series, Diablo Immortal appears to be a worthy successor to tide them over until Diablo 4.
