Taking place betweenDiablo 2andDiablo 3, players can look atDiablo Immortalas not just a mobile experience, but an expanded means of exploringDiablolore. In the mobile game,Diabloplayers, now Adventurers, are tasked to defend the city of Westmarch from the growing threat of undead and demonic cults. Not only that, players soon uncover an ages-old conflict between protectors of Sanctuary.

As players soon learn,Diablo Immortaltakes its name from the concept in which Immortals charged to protect Sanctuary are tested by Shadows that seek to challenge them. This conflict is reflected in the game, courtesy of a unique PVP segment called theRite of Exile. How does this fit into the lore, and how does it affect a character’s playthrough?

The Cycle of STrife

The Cycle Of Strife & The Lore of The Rite of Exile

In the world ofDiablo, it’s said that the Nephalem Daedessa constructed the city of Corvus through her architectural prowess, making it a safe city for mortals to live in. However, Daedessa realized that protecting the Sanctuary from demons would prove difficult due to her lack of fighting skill. As a master crafter, she created a powerful artifact known as the Eternal Crown and entrusted her son, Kion, with it. As the crown’s wearer, Kion created a group dedicated to protecting Sanctuary, which would become the Immortals.

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Meanwhile, Daedessa also entrusted her daughter, Akeba, with the secret task of forming a group of warriors to constantly challenge the Immortals, which were the Shadows. Ideally, Immortals should always prevail against the Shadows, as Shadows who defeat them would become the new Immortals. This became known as theCycle of Strife.

The Eternal Crown

Serving as the “prize” of the Cycle of Strife, theEternal Crownis a mystical artifact inDiablolore. In the story, the Crown has mysterious properties, known to give its wearers glowing eyes as well as streams of light that form wings. The Crown notably “hungers” for magic.

In the game, the “winner” of the Cycle of Strife will wield the Eternal Crown. Activating its skill will grant the wearer and their allies increased attack speed, as well as decreased cooldowns for a limited time. Both of these buffs are perfect forbrokenDiablo Immortalbuilds.

Immortals in Diablo Immortal

The Rite Of Exile

The Cycle of Strife begins with theRite of Exile, by which the Shadows start making moves against the Immortals. The Shadows only start this challenge should they feel the Immortals have become corrupt and must be stopped or replaced. Groups of Shadows around Sanctuary send their best combatants to challenge the Immortals’ best fighters. Should the Immortals win, they maintain the status quo. However, Shadows who reign supreme proceed ot the Challenge of the Immortal. These series of fights are optimal for players to testbuilds like the Cyclone Strike Monk.

Challenge Of The Immortal

TheChallenge of the Immortalis where the true test of skill is revealed. Here, the Immortal bearing the Eternal Crown takes on the victorious in the Rite of Exile. Should they defeat the Rite’s challengers, they continue their reign as the Crown’s wielder, with the Cycle starting anew. If the Immortalfails the challenge, the Shadows are declared victorious and proceed to the Final Battle.

The Final Battle

With no more Immortals left to challenge their skill, it’s up to the Shadows themselves to prove who is worthy of taking the role of the Crown’s wearer. To do so, the Shadows who won the Challenge of the Immortal engage in a battle royale. The sole survivor becomes the new wearer of the Eternal Crown, and the four survivors would serve as their lieutenants.

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Liutenants wear crowns of their own with unique abilities, all of which improve upon ranking up.

The Rite Of Exile In Terms Of Gameplay

The first part of the Cycle of Strife is theRite of Exile, where the Shadows begin their moves against the Immortals. The Rite of Exile is simply a player-versus-player mode, with extra steps. This gameplay mode involves the top ten Dark Clans sending eight of their best Shadows to face off against eight Immortals. Afterwards, ten battles will happen simultaneously.

The Rite of Exile ends as soon as combat is over and results are shown. Should the Immortals win, they retain control over their positions. However, should the Shadows win, they proceed to the Challenge of the Immortal, which has unique mechanics of its own. Players who want to succeed in the Rite of Exile may want to stock up on their build options, which may include upgrades through items such asLegendary Gems.

The Immortal on his throne in Diablo Immortal

When Does The Rite Of Exile Take Place?

The Rite of Exile takes place onSundays, at 8PM accoding to the server time.Specifically, it happens during the Showdown and Reckoning Stages of the development of the Shadows faction. This event may also help players earnrewards such as Platinum.

These stages pertain to the latter half of the progression in the Cycle of Strife in the game, wherein the Shadows have gathered more than 200 members and have entered the Showdown Stage. This simply means the Immortals can expect a challenge at any time. Meanwhile, Reckoning pertains to when the Shadows lose the Rite and continues the Cycle unchanged.

Challenge of the Immortal

How Does The Rite Of Exile Work?

Unlike typical tournament setups or usual player-versus-player scenarios, there’s a deeper element of strategy involved in the Rite of Exile. Given how each Dark Clan has to send a team of fighters against the Immortals, the Rite of Exile actually takes place in a team-based setting.

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In the Rite of Exile, combat takes place in a large map. There is a specified Attacking Side and a specified Defending Side, with objectives varying depending on where the players are assigned. These often include the defense or destruction of certain icons and status in the map, which culminate in a final objective that determines the victorious in the match. Caveats do exist within this game mode, as both sides only have 80 lives in total, and a timer in order to complete each objective.

Objective Samples

Each Rite of Exile instance have different objectives, and may vary from team to team. However, there are some common tasks that players often encounter when dealing with the Rite of Exile:

Diablo Immortalis available for iOS, Android, and PC.

The Eternal Crown

Immortals and Shadows fighting in Diablo Immortal

Players engaging in the Rite of Exile

Rite of Exile in the Game

A Sample Rite of Exile Objective