Diablo 4 was officially released yesterday, June 6th, and now all players understand just how expensive its microtransactions can be.
Blizzard’s $70 action role-playing game relies heavily on in-game monetization, with various battle passes planned for post-launch.
However, the in-game shop, which has been a source of controversy among fans, is now available.
The Diablo 4 shop only sells cosmetics. No gameplay-affecting items are sold. While that’s very good and in line with the promises Blizzard made prior to launch, the prices for some of these cosmetics are frowned upon.
For example, consider the Triune Apostate armor set. It weighs 2,500 platinum. Platinum is Diablo 4’s premium in-game currency, which itself must be purchased with real-world money. For 2,500 Platinum it’s £20.99 / $24.99 (2,500 plus 300 Platinum is “free”).
The Cryptic Hunter mount is priced at £6.39. It is a direct payment with real world money. I don’t need platinum.
And, of course, there is horse armor for the new mounts. The Three-Fold Nightmare Prestige mount and armor cost 1,500 platinum, or just under £13.
If you wanted to buy all the cosmetics currently on the market, you would be spending hundreds of dollars or even hundreds of pounds. Some redditor solved itcame up with $357 to get everything in the most cost effective way possible.
As you can imagine, the Diablo community has It pointed out How expensive these decorations are, and the fact that the armor set is only available for one class, reduces the value of the purchase somewhat.
But these days, some point out that $25 max for a bundle that includes a skin and a few minor cosmetics is pretty standard. For example, anyone who’s played Activision’s recent Call of Duty game will be familiar with this kind of pricing.
Of course, the real test of Diablo 4’s monetization will be whether its Battle Pass launches and Blizzard paywalls the best-looking armor sets in the game, or whether the base game itself retains its own features. It will come time to find out what fancy fit is included.
Overall, Diablo 4 went well and I enjoyed the smooth launch. This is also a big hit. Blizzard has announced that Diablo 4 is the fastest-selling game of all time. Two extensions are currently in development.
Wesley is IGN’s UK news editor. Find @wyp100 on Twitter. Send your news tips to wesley_yinpoole@ign.com.
