Apps

Diablo Immortal is coming but it’s probably not what you expect

Well, that was an underwhelming announcement

Published

November 6, 2018

Koy Mapolon

BlizzCon was held last weekend in Anaheim, California, and it gave us some cool things like the first Nexus hero in Heroes of the Storm, a remastered Warcraft 3, the re-release of the classic World of Warcraft (for all those nostalgic gamers), a new badass Overwatch hero, and even Destiny 2 as a gift (check your Blizzard accounts if you haven’t yet). It also gave us a new Diablo game.

Diablo III was released way back in 2012 and only received a lukewarm response. Fans have been crying out for a follow up to Diablo III and/or a remastering of the beloved Diablo II for years. So when Diablo Immortal was announced, it’s safe to say the people were excited. The cinematic trailer looked promising, but then ended with the words “Coming soon to Mobile,” and people got pissed. It went as far as someone asking if the announcement was an out-of-season April Fools’ joke during the Q&A. Yikes.

In the midst of all the backlash, one of the things that came to light was that this new game, for which they partnered with the Chinese company NetEase, seemed to be a reskin of an older game by NetEase. People noticed that the user interface for Diablo Immortal, among other things, was very similar to that of Crusaders of Light, and this didn’t really help the situation.

So, Diablo Immortal’s announcement was a disappointment to say the least. It’s also worth mentioning though, that it’s possible that they wanted to penetrate the Asian mobile gaming market (which is huge specifically in the Southeast), which could also be why they partnered up with NetEase. Also who’s to say, this game could very well be a hit when it’s released or even years later. But our fingers are also still crossed for Diablo IV hopefully coming soon.

Related Topics:Blizzard Diablo Diablo Immortal

Apps

Meta quietly launches Forum app for Facebook Groups

The app highlights discussions from Facebook Groups.

Published

May 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Since the rise of other platforms, Facebook Groups haven’t enjoyed as much popularity anymore. Despite this (or maybe even to help with this), Meta has unleashed an all-new app called Forum.

Designed specifically with Facebook Groups in mind, Forum collates discussions from Groups that the user might be interested in. Much like the websites of the same name from the 2000s, the app wants to feature conversations, rather than canned content that the algorithm shoves towards users on the main Facebook feed.

Users can also ask questions. Forum will sift through real discussions to find an answer. The closest analog today is searching Reddit for troubleshooting questions to get answers based on human experience. The main feed of the new app, however, feels more in tune with Quora’s concept.

That said, it’s a refreshing way to bring social media back to human-made feeds. It’s also a stark admission that the main Facebook feed (and, frankly, Instagram too) is just too inundated with content that users are not interested in.

Lately, Instagram also made the same admission by launching its own “lightweight” app called Instants. Like Forum, Instants was made to recapture the essence of Instagram before the rise of the almighty algorithm.

Forum, however, was launched with much less fanfare than Instants. There was no announcement. Rather, it’s just a casual drop from out of nowhere. The app is available now on the App Store and the Play Store.

Apps

Apple Sports: Free app expands globally ahead of World Cup

Personalized, intuitive experience to get fans ready for the World Cup

Published

May 20, 2026

GadgetMatch

Apple has expanded the availability of its free Apple Sports iPhone app to more than 90 new countries and regions.

This brings the app’s total global footprint to over 170 markets. The massive expansion comes just weeks before the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup this June.

It only means the standalone app is positioned as the primary real-time tracking fan for millions of football fans worldwide.

The rollout shifts Apple’s strategy toward global sports integration by providing the utility completely free of charge on the App Store.

A massive influx of international users are expected to use the app, as it provides a more direct experience — eliminating the need for third-party score tracking platforms.

As part of the personalized, real-time FIFA World Cup coverage, the app is introducing dedicated tournament features.

This includes allowing users to explore group stage standings, follow specific national teams, and view the current bracket through tournament bracket view.

In addition, visual formations for each team’s starting lineup will be provided ahead of every match.

Apple Sports is also tailored for those who have an entire ecosystem of Apple devices. The app can deliver real-time updates directly to a user’s iPhone Lock Screen and Apple Watch.

Fans can further add widgets to their iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Home Screens, and jump easily into the Apple TV app with a single tap to find live matches.

Apps

Netflix expands its cheaper ad-supported tier to Southeast Asia

This also includes more countries in Europe and South America.

Published

May 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

If you don’t care about seeing a deluge of ads on your platforms, you’re an incredibly rare breed these days. That same skill will come in handy for those nicely priced subscription tiers that comes with ads. Netflix, for one, has one of those tiers, and it’s now coming out in more countries.

As is prevalent in other platforms today, an ad-supported subscription tier lowers the price you have to pay every month. The catch, however, is that there will be an occasional sprinkling of ads here and there.

Netflix offers this service, which allows subscribers to get the service for cheap at the expense of their time. Currently, it is limited to only a few major markets in the world. However, the platform is expanding the tier’s reach to more countries in Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia.

Starting in 2027, Netflix’s ad-supported tier will expand to 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand.

Netflix says that the ad-supported tier is a popular option for subscribers. Currently, the tier has around 250 million subscribers worldwide. Since some of the new countries have a more budget-conscious attitude when it comes to purchasing services, this number will likely go up after the expansion in 2027.