Diablo IV details premium shop and season passes, promises no pay-for-power

In its latest quarterly update, Blizzard has given details for Diablo IV‘s post-launch monetization. The action RPG is coming out next year for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

This is a tricky prospect for Blizzard. It’s last release, the free-to-play Diablo Immortal, drew ire for its microtransactions. Players especially dislike having to spend money to have a chance to earn items that increase their power, which can give them a distinct advantage in game modes like player-vs.-player content.

Diablo IV will not be free-to-play. It will be a premium game. That can make microtransactions an even harder sell. However, Blizzard is promising that — unlike with Immortal — players can not buy any items that will increase player power.

Instead, players can purchase cosmetics from an in-game store and buy a season pass. The season pass will have both free and paid tiers. The free track will include items like XP boosts. While that is, in fact, a way to make your character stronger, it is at least available to all players without spending money. The paid tier includes cosmetic items and premium currency that you can use in the in-game store.