It was already known that Diablo IV would include some sort of microtransactions. Of course, this didn’t sit well with the Diablo community, and for a good reason. Many of which had hoped Blizzard would change course. Then the release of Diablo Immortal, which is riddled with microtransactions, from cosmetics to Pay-to-Win mechanics, has brought the topic back to the forefront.
Adding to this, a new job posting appeared on Blizzard’s career page, with the company looking for a product manager who’ll manage” the Diablo IV in-game store experience.”
Thankfully, Blizzard seems to have a plan and has stated that Diablo IV will not feature the same sort of microtransactions that Diablo Immortal does. Gothalion, a well-known streamer, posted a tweet after Diablo IV was shown during the Xbox and Bethesda showcase. Adam Fletcher, the global community lead for Diablo, noticed this tweet and had this to say about the microtransaction fears.
D4 is coming out as a full price game built strictly for PC/console audiences. The game is huge & there will be tons of content after launch for all players. Paid content is built around optional cosmetic items & eventually full expansions. We will be sharing more info soon!
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D4 is coming out as a full price game built strictly for PC/console audiences. The game is huge & there will be tons of content after launch for all players. Paid content is built around optional cosmetic items & eventually full expansions. We will be sharing more info soon!
— Adam Fletcher (@PezRadar) June 12, 2022
Rod Fergusson also chimed in, stating pretty much what Adam mentioned.
To be clear, D4 is a full price game built for PC/PS/Xbox audiences. We are committed to delivering an incredible breadth of content after launch, for years to come, anchored around optional cosmetic items & full story driven expansions. More details soon. Necro blog tomorrow!
— Rod Fergusson (@RodFergusson) June 12, 2022
That said, we should all breathe a sigh of relief now that Blizzard has confirmed that D4 will not include the same predatory practices that Diablo Immortal does. At least, that’s what Blizzard has said so far.
Adam also mentioned that we’d find out more regarding Diablo IV soon. This begs to ask, just how soon is soon?
Diablo IV releases in 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It will also include cross-play between all platforms.