Blizzard are one of the biggest names in gaming but courtesy of allegations of unsavoury workplace practices and infamously unpopular monetization of fantasy online roleplaying game Diablo Immortal, their brand is presently a bit on the nose.

And now they want it on your skin. Permanently.

That's actually not news. Their Diablo Hells Ink tour promoting their upcoming action roleplaying game Diablo IV was announced last month.

Asking fans to compete for a chance to win a custom Diablo tattoo by taking to social media and declaring their love for it.

More or less.

Such social media whoremongering is nothing new.

Corporations using consumers to carry their brand is also not new though typically takes much less permanent forms like shopping bags or t-shirts.

Tattoos is taking it up a notch.

But that's not where they stopped.

Though not detailed in their promotion for the event, it was reported that attendees of the first one in Los Angeles on the 16th received a card promising them both beta access and a free copy of Diablo IV upon release.

An image of that card was posted by the official Diablo Twitter account.

A game like this would normally cost somewhere in the vicinity of $100 (Oz) depending on version, eg. regular or collector's edition, and many gamers might consider beta access priceless.

Both from the perspective of being able to play a game earlier, even if incomplete, and also to be in a position to provide feedback.

Which collectively across all beta players can affect a game's development.

Most gamers might not seriously consider selling their grandmother for beta access to a game they're really into, but a tattoo?

That Blizzard didn't advertise the game and beta access as part of this promotion initially could be interpreted as it not generating many entries.

How to encourage more? Offer more enticements.

Their original plan of a free custom tattoo as the prize for social media engagement is fine.

Only people who want a tattoo will enter.

A free copy of the game and beta access would make sense as prizes for social media engagement.

But combine these and we think that crosses a line.

Effectively paying fans $100 (appox cost of game) to get tattoo'ed is a bit sad and desperate.

And there's real risk of beta access enticing some fans to get tattoo'ed who otherwise would never have considered it.

[ Main Image: Diablo Hells Ink Card. Credit: Blizzard via Twitter. ]

References

Allsop, Ken (July 17, 2022). You can get Diablo 4 beta access with a permanent flesh mark. PCGamesN.

Blizzard Entertainment (June 14, 2022). Diablo Hell's Ink Tattoo Shop Takeover Tour. Blizzard.

Diablo [@Diablo] (July 17, 2022). The City of Angels turned out for Hell. Twitter.