Diablo Immortal clans are topping the leaderboards without actually playing the game

Diablo Immortal
(Image credit: Blizzard)

Diablo Immortal clans are placing among the top ten in the game's weekly PVP clan tournament, the Shadow War, despite not actually participating in any matches. That's either some godly level of skill they've got going on, or there's something seriously wrong with Diablo Immortal's ranking system.

Getting into the top ten isn't just about bragging rights; it also determines the Dark Clans that will participate in the ultimate clan showdown, the Rite of Exile. This means precious qualifying places are being awarded to inactive clans, leaving those that have been actively competing out in the cold.

As spotted by PCGamesN, One user shared images on the Diablo Immortal subreddit, showing a group bracket made up of three inactive clans and empty space. As no one was playing, two of these AFK clans made it into the week's top ten leaderboards. "Meanwhile, active clans with 40-50 people at war in other brackets who just didn't win will be sitting out," says the Reddit user. "Whether the Immortals are behind this to artificially inflate the length of their reign or not, it shouldn't be a thing!"

happened_again_2_shadow_clans_afk_their_way_to from r/DiabloImmortal

Another Reddit user shared a similar situation, writing, "Happened to our server as well. The second strongest clan didn't make it to top 10 because they matched three times with us and lost all three times in the finals. Meanwhile, two dead clans made it to top 10. It's ridiculous."

This system is not only frustrating for those who lose out on their rightful place in the Rite of Exile but also for those participating in it. As the competition pits the top ten Dark Clans against each other, it results in automatic victories for clans that happen to go up against absent opponents. Annoyed and confused at the situation, one Diablo Immortal player commented, "I can not work out why anyone would design a game with a system which works that way."

Blizzard recently announced that Diablo Immortal players who've found themselves with a negative orb balance on their account won't be banned from the game. This follows the company's crackdown on the use of third-party sites to purchase Eternal Orbs, which has seen players rack up as much as $35,000 in orb debt. 

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Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.