Everybody has to launch something that keeps on earning money, thanks to Fortnite. Learning that Diablo IV is getting cosmetic microtransactions isn’t much of a wrench. That’s been obvious since 2019. Finding out that it’ll cost money to be fully involved in the upcoming ARPG’s Seasons hurts a little more.
Activision Blizzard has detailed how its post-launch content will work in Diablo IV. To its credit, the company is trying to be as transparent about how it’ll all work, upfront. It’s taken a little flack for Diablo Immortal, an actually fun-to-play mobile title designed to siphon money out of some players.
Diablo IV being diabolical?
Microtransactions will turn up in The Shop, an optional store within Diablo IV that uses Premium Currency for purchases. You’ll buy Currency with real money. And then spend that money in The Shop. By now, it’s all fine because it’s not money anymore. It’s been magically transmuted into Fake Internet Money, instead.
Retail psychology aside, Blizzard has stressed that these items will be purely cosmetic. Additionally, it won’t be locking all of the best looks behind a paywall. There are also “…hundreds of transmogs unlockable from drops in-game, including dozens of armor sets of the highest visual quality”. But if you’re not keen on the grind, The Shop is right there… tempting you.
Seasons in the abyss
Seasons aren’t really changing from Diablo III, which handled the constant events rather well. Players still have to create a character specific to each season and meet certain milestones. Completing them will reward certain specific items. But, unlike Diablo III, players need to shell out for the full experience. Fortnite has mucked it all up for games like Hot Wheels to Multiversus to Diablo IV. There are two tiers for the Season Pass: Free and Premium. Guess which one’s better?
Blizzard hasn’t shown any visuals of what its Season Pass will look like but we suspect it’ll look like Fortnite’s implementation. Free players get to see all the wonderful costmetics they missed out on by not paying for the Season Pass. Going Premium can be done at any point in a Season. It will almost certainly be applied retroactively, so previously-earned ‘reward’ milestones are awarded.
Again, to Blizzard’s credit, its Premium Season Pass only awards cosmetic items to players. They’ll probably be attractive cosmetic items, but they won’t alter gameplay. Anything that does alter gameplay — and there are a few items — will remain free for all players. These free items are earned at the same rate, whether players are on Blizzard’s Free or Premium tiers.
The world can probably handle Diablo IV attempting to grind a little more money for its corporate masters, though. The game launches, barring delays, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Series X in 2023.