Diablo Immortal's Fishing Update Brings Some R&R To The World Of Sanctuary

Diablo Immortal's next update is set to introduce fishing to the demon-infested world of Sanctuary, an addition Blizzard says is a "first step" towards exploring the world of Diablo through a new lens.

Come February 22 in the Americas (or today everywhere else in the world), Diablo Immortal players will be able to set aside their weapons and pick up a fishing rod instead. Anyone interested in fishing in the world of Sanctuary will need to complete an introductory quest first, after which they can travel to one of three, combat-free fishing zones. A Fisher vendor located near each fishing zone will sell bait needed to start angling. The longer a player lets their bobber sit in the water, the higher probability of catching a rare fish, with there being a total of 40 unique species for players to encounter. Caught fish can be sold to the Fisher for various rewards, including gear and fishing rod cosmetics.

Kicking back and relaxing with a bit of fishing isn't the first activity that comes to mind when one thinks of the demon-slaying action the Diablo franchise is known for, but Blizzard says Diablo Immortal's MMORPG-nature gives it a "unique opportunity to explore the world of Sanctuary through a new lens." The goal was to provide a new, combat-free activity for players who want to kick back in-game without having to worry about being stabbed in the back.

"Fishing is our first step towards adding immersive world-based experiences that bring combat-less gameplay with social touches," Blizzard writes in the patch notes.

Though fishing is definitely the biggest part of Diablo Immortal's latest update, there are a host of additional changes. The update introduces 36 new legendary items, six for each class, that should provide some new build opportunities, and the update additionally reworks the game's rune system to be more simplified. Blizzard notes that it realized players were left with bags full of excess runes that likely would never be used, so this new system, where Ast runes are now the primary means of crafting legendary gems, should make life easier for players.

The update will also bring changes to normal gems, which now grant a new attribute called Refinement that increases the base attribute of the item the gem is socketed into. Finding normal gems should be much easier come the update, with Hidden Lairs being the most efficient method for stocking up on the new-and-improved gems. Hidden Lairs themselves will now scale based on server population, which Blizzard says should result in roughly the same amount or more Hidden Lairs being available on a daily basis. The goal of the change is so that more normal gems will enter the market and be available for sale on the game's auction house.

Additional changes coming in the update include an in-game activity calendar so players can sign up for activities scheduled by clans and warbands, two rare combat globes that will now be seen out in the game's open world, and the return of the game's limited-time Hungering Moon event.

Diablo Immortal's previous update introduced new stash tabs for players to expand their inventory with, albeit at a price. Meanwhile, the next mainline entry in the series, Diablo IV, recently announced two open beta weekends slated for March, with the full game set to release on June 6, 2023.