Diablo 4 has been in our hands for a few weeks now, with the RPG game well-loved by almost anyone who’s playing it. The same can’t be said for on-lookers seeing some of the advertising though, as an Australian complaint about those huge Diablo 4 billboards is just now making the rounds, and I think the official response is unintentionally one of the funniest things I’ve ever read.
Diablo 4’s marketing has, quite frankly, been brilliant. An entire Diablo 4 cathedral in France was given a makeover before the release that you could actually visit, and the first 1,000 players to beat the Diablo 4 hardcore race to level 100 were also engraved on a real-world statue of Lilith.
While seeing both of these in real life would be a challenge, you’ve no doubt seen those “Welcome to Hell” Diablo 4 billboards on your travels, just like the Diablo 4 Altars of Lilith in-game. Adorned with a picture of Lilith and the name of the city the poster or billboard is in. It’s a fun way to do a simple ad, and it’s been catching a lot of people’s eyes.
It’s not all been good for Blizzard’s demon game though, as a case report complaining about the Diablo 4 billboards all the way from Melbourne, Australia has been made public. Granted, the complaint was made last month and has already been dismissed, but it’s still worth taking a look between making new Diablo 4 classes.
The complaint files the Diablo 4 billboard under discrimination and violence, as a parent outlines why they think the image of Lilith is inappropriate, citing the COVID lockdowns and hellish imagery.
“The words ‘welcome to Hell Melbourne’ as part of the advertisement for this game and a picture of a devil are offensive to me as a Christian,” the complaint begins. “The imagery is also inappropriate for my children to see and has already given them nightmares.
“The imagery is frightening to children as the demonic-looking character is staring at the camera, creating the effect of staring at the observer. It is located in a prominent position beside a busy freeway where children have a clear view of the very large billboard.
“It’s scary for young children who see it, but even as an adult, it brought back memories of the hell of the two years of lockdowns in Melbourne. The language and words used are not necessary to get across the message about the release of this game.”
The advertisers rebuke these claims, outlining how hell refers to a location in Diablo 4 and how no religion is mentioned or directly disrespected in the ad. There’s also this absolute gem of a statement, “Given the punctuation, it does not state or imply that Brisbane or Melbourne is ‘hell’ and as such is not derogatory to these cities, or any of their Inhabitants.”
Naturally, the Ad Standards Community Panel in Australia didn’t find that the Diablo 4 Billboard was actually offensive or indicative of violence, and in what I can only describe as the greatest bit of irony I’ve ever read in my life, it’s added that “the character was not dissimilar to other well-known characters such as Maleficient (Disney), and noted a Melbourne sports team called the Demons.”
After all that, I’ve just learned that there could very well be a billboard next to this Diablo 4 one that advertises Demons (as a football team), and I find that deeply, deeply, hilarious. You can check out the Diablo 4 billboard complaint for yourself (via Kotaku Australia).
If you want to know what becomes of the billboards star, Lilith, in the game, we’ve got a Diablo 4 ending explanation that’ll break down what happened alongside what to expect in the future. We also have everything you need to know about the best Diablo 4 builds to help you get a leg up on the competition.
