Diablo Immortal, the highly anticipated mobile spin-off of Blizzard’s Diablo series, has achieved a significant milestone by surpassing $500 million in consumer spend. According to data.ai, a game research firm, the game has been downloaded over 22 million times worldwide and has generated approximately $525 million in consumer spend. This places Diablo Immortal as the 24th highest-grossing mobile game since its launch.

In a surprising turn of events, the United States has overtaken China in terms of consumer spend, contributing 33% of the total spending compared to China’s 19%. Previously, China held the majority share at 37%, but this shift demonstrates a significant change in the revenue dynamics of the gaming market.

It should be noted that the figures mentioned only reflect revenue from the mobile version of Diablo Immortal and do not include revenue from the game’s PC port or third-party Android marketplaces. With this in mind, data.ai predicts that the game’s revenue will continue to rise and is likely to surpass the $1 billion milestone in the near future. Furthermore, Diablo Immortal currently holds the third position on the list of highest-earning mobile MMORPG titles.

The initial announcement of Diablo Immortal at BlizzCon received a mixed response, as demonstrated by the infamous video that sparked controversy. However, the success of Diablo Immortal proves that Blizzard’s decision to create a mobile-focused spin-off was justified. Additionally, this success is beneficial for NetEase, despite their previous public fallout with Blizzard over game publishing in China. Their ongoing partnership regarding Diablo Immortal remains intact, ensuring continued benefits for both parties.

Another noteworthy development is the United States overtaking China in terms of user spend. While the exact reasons for this shift are unclear, it challenges the prevailing notion that China is the primary revenue driver in the gaming industry. With the highly anticipated release of Diablo IV, the mainline entry in the series, it is expected that the interest in Diablo Immortal will continue to grow.