This writer has hazy memories of enjoying the original Torchlight and Torchlight 2 around a decade ago. There was a third entry in the series back in 2020, made by Echtra Games rather than the since-shuttered Runic Games, but it received mixed reviews from critics and consumers alike. With Shanghai-based XD Inc now at the reins, it appears that the new Torchlight, called Torchlight Infinite, is going down the same path as Blizzard by releasing on both PC and mobile while being free-to-play. However, unlike Diablo Immortal, there appears to be less focus on aggressive monetization. XD Inc emphasizes that gears, affixes, crafting material, and upgrades on attributes are all loot-based, ensuring the game really does stay free-to-play. It adds that exclusive drops can only be obtained from power grinds and that the game has no stamina or cooldowns.
Being a F2P and a mobile game, Torchlight infinite isn’t completely bereft of microtransactions. Users can spend money on a season pass, a monthly pass, the auction house, and premium currency bundles. Torchlight Infinite started its closed beta on Steam yesterday ahead of the full launch next month; you can still request access to the playtest. Although all spending and progress will be reset once the beta ends, everything that players spent during the beta will be returned to them once the game launches in full. The developers will no doubt hope that Torchlight Infinite will be able to avoid the negative reactions garnered by Diablo Immortal. Blizzard’s title has a Metacritic user score of 0.3, thanks to 4,636 bad reviews and just 86 positive ones. But after generating almost $50 million in its first month, XD Inc will undoubtedly be happy if its title makes as much money.
