The company shared details about the game's monetization philosophy and showed what you can buy in the Shop.
Blizzard has shared some details about the upcoming Diablo IV describing its monetization policy and demonstrating the cosmetics you will be able to get in the Shop when the game launches.
Diablo IV will have Seasons like in Diablo III, with the first one available soon after launch. Blizzard is planning four Seasons a year, each with major new features, questlines, enemies, legendary items, and more. When a new season begins, all the characters are moved to the Eternal Realm, where you can keep playing. To play in the new season, you’ll need to create a fresh character. The company promises that your character's power will depend on your effort and skill and not how much money you pay:
"This season design requires that all sources of character power come from playing the game, so you will not be able to pay for power in Diablo IV."
In the new game, the developers are trying to achieve a relative balance between classes, builds, and powers. They will also be adding new legendary and unique items, paragon boards, glyphs, and other features "that will continually refresh the meta and create new build opportunities."
Diablo IV's Season Journey will be free for everyone. Completing its objectives will grant progress toward the Season Pass, a new feature with a battle pass-style progression that advances alongside the Season Journey, which means you can earn even more rewards just by playing. The Season Pass has both free rewards (cosmetics, premium currency, and gameplay boosts) and paid rewards (cosmetics and premium currency only).
Speaking of paid rewards, Blizzard showed what you can get from the Shop: all cosmetics and no pay-to-win stuff.
"We want buying things to feel good – before, during, and after purchase. So, if players choose to buy something, it should be because they want to, not because they feel like they have to. It should also be clear to players exactly what they are getting before they choose to buy, with no unpleasant surprises."
Blizzard emphasizes that "nothing offered in the Shop grants a direct or indirect gameplay advantage," which is a relief after the criticism Diablo Immortal's monetization policy got. The Shop is optional and provides gear to enable more customization options. But don't worry that you can't have cool armor if you don't pay: the company promises a lot of beautiful sets obtainable by playing:
Legendary Armors earned through the game (left) & Armor Cosmetics in the Shop (right).
Cosmetics from the Shop can be used on every character of that class on your account.
Diablo IV is set to be released in 2023. You can check out its concept art in our article. See what you can expect from the game here and don't forget to join our Reddit page and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we are sharing breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.
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