After dabbling with a pay-to-win mechanic in Diablo 3’s Auction House and diving deep with Diablo Immortal, Blizzard just confirmed that fans have no reason to worry that Diablo 4 will have a similar feature. According to the company’s latest development update, Diablo IV will launch at full retail price and let players spend money on cosmetics, before assuring players that no one will be “able to pay for power.” In the same lengthy post, Blizzard explained that Diablo 4’s post-launch content is structured around Seasons and Battle Passes. This is the same model used by Diablo III. The free progression system lets players earn rewards without paying. Of course, there’s a Battle Pass as well. Also, Blizzard doesn’t want you to refer to them as Battle Passes. Even if the company described to the system as having a “battle pass-style progression”, Blizzard wants you to call it the Season Pass and said it will have “free tiers and premium tiers.” In addition to the in-game shop of Diablo 4, Blizzard revealed that the “best looking cosmetics aren’t exclusive to the shop.” Instead, Blizzard will let players earn the prettiest in-game cosmetics just by playing the game. This is basically Blizzard’s way of saying, “don’t worry, you’ll still have to grind your way to get the best gear.” Either way, Blizzard made sure to clarify that players can only earn cosmetics and premium currency from the Season Pass and in-game shop. Specifically, Blizzard stated that there is “nothing offered in the shop grants a direct or indirect gameplay advantage.” Ultimately, Blizzard’s latest announcement feels like an attempt to reassure fans that Diablo 4 will not take a page out of Diablo: Immortal’s book. The free-to-play mobile Diablo game isn’t as bad as some make it out to be. Unfortunately, several players have abused the system to get what they want by throwing cash at the game. Surprisingly, this has not gone as well as expected for the spending players. For example, someone recently spent $100,000 on Diablo: Immortal only to find out he can’t play with anyone anymore. In other news, Diablo 4 isn’t the only upcoming Blizzard game to drop with loot boxes. The free-to-play hero shooter sequel, Overwatch 2, which will launch in October, will also scrap loot boxes in favor of a more traditional in-game store and Battle Pass.
