The Morning After: ‘Diablo Immortal’ arrives, with loot boxes

As long as you don’t live in certain countries, you’ll be able to play Blizzard’s latest Diablo game across mobile, console and PC starting today. Diablo Immortal actually snuck on to smartphone a day early and offers the waves of monsters and skill refinements fans will love. However, this is tempered by loot box mechanics, which means you’ll probably have to pay up to ensure your barbarian or magic-wielder can make it to the end-game.

Like many loot box systems, it’s intentionally messy: You’ll pay for crests for the opportunity (at varying probabilities) to pick up powerful gem add-ons — with differing degrees of power. Engadget’s Igor Bonifacic has played Immortal for a week and thinks there’s a good game here — especially for Diablo die-hard fans. But, ugh, loot boxes.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Part of $500 million in total investments.

Porsche is strengthening its relationship with EV supercar company Rimac, investing “eight figures” for a total ownership stake of 20 percent. The company has become a key supplier and collaborator on EVs built by Hyundai, Porsche and other mainstream automakers.

Last year, Rimac set up a joint venture with Porsche to run Bugatti after Volkswagen ceded ownership. The new entity, called Bugatti Rimac, recently unveiled the 1,914HP Rimac Nevera EV hypercar. Price TBC, but probably heart-attack inducing.

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It covers 180 kilometers of Shark Bay in Australia.

Shark Bay, an Australian World Heritage Area, serves as home to animals that feed on its thriving seagrass. It turns out, that seagrass, called Poseidon’s ribbon weed, or Posidonia australis, is a single ancient plant that’s been cloning itself for 4,500 years.

Researchers from the University of Western Australia and Flinders University have found the seagrass stretching across 180 kilometers (112 miles) — the size of Cincinnati, as The New York Times notes — of Shark Bay is just a single plant.

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But you’re more likely to drive the new hybrid-only GLC.

Mercedes is finally ready to show the finished version of its hybrid hypercar. The production Mercedes-AMG One now packs a Formula 1-derived, 1,063HP hybrid powertrain with a turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 engine and four electric motors. The first customers should get their Mercedes-AMG One cars in the second half of 2022. Not that you’re going to buy one — all of the production models have been spoken for despite the $2.7 million price tag.

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The new games will feature four-player co-op.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the next mainline entries in Game Freak’s long-running RPG series, will come to Nintendo Switch on November 18th, The Pokémon Company . In addition to including new creatures to catch, the two games will feature four-player multiplayer, allowing you and your friends to experience the game’s new region together. Game Freak promises Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will represent its first true open-world experience after the spin-off title Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

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