Being a full priced game, any Diablo 4 pay to win mechanics is sure to turn away any interested players. In case Blizzard hasn’t learned their lesson from the highly monetized free-to-play Diablo Immortal, you could be cautious about diving into to another Diablo game that may just be looking to squeeze you for pennies. Let’s talk about if Diablo 4 by explaining its microtransactions and battle pass.
Is Diablo 4 pay to win?
Given the revealed mechanics before its release, Diablo 4 is shaping up to not be pay-to-win. Blizzard has removed a lot of the intrusive practices that prioritized making money over gameplay integrity.
One such removal was the Auction House in Diablo III. This was a feature that introduced a place where players could bid for an item using real-life money. It quickly undermined the core gameplay as players could now just pay to get the best items. Its exclusion from Diablo 4 shows that Blizzard may be catching on that players don’t like being squeezed for pennies.
People being afraid that Diablo 4 is pay-to-win is a completely valid fear. As Blizzard’s cash grab attempt known as Diablo Immortals is in everyone’s recent memories.
Don’t celebrate just yet, as there are microtransactions. Though these seem to be limited to the in-game cosmetics shop which Blizzard promises won’t at all affect gameplay. We’ll be able to tell how pay-to-win Diablo 4 will do as the release date comes closer and see if Blizzard will stick to their promises.
Even though Diablo 4 has an in-game cosmetics shop and battle pass, Blizzard assures that there is no way to pay for more power. Players will have to grind and go out to fight demonic hordes if they actually want to get stronger.
Underneath all of this, Diablo 4 is a live service game which will frequently update to new Seasons introducing quality of life changes, new meta, quests, challenges, gameplay, and many more. Due to absence of pay-to-win mechanics, players who missed out on previous Seasons can catch up without having to worry about catching up as the endgame Paragon Points are capped after reaching a certain level.
For console players, the only advantage they could pay for would have to either be the PS Plus or Xbox Live as it’s required to form parties in Diablo 4. So is Diablo 4 pay to win? We doubt it but it’s always best to be on guard.
What’s in the Diablo 4 Battle Pass?
The Diablo 4 Battle Pass will consist mostly of cosmetic items. These will provide no advantage or power gains for other players.
Players can unlock tiers thanks to the Diablo 4 free battle pass. There is a premium battle pass that can be unlocked via purchase however these only offer cosmetics such as Transmogs to update your character appearance. If you want to head deeper into character customization for the classes you play, then it is a great deal.
Due to the lack of pay-to-win mechanics, Blizzard is monetizing Diablo 4 in other ways that are non intrusive to the gameplay experience. Such as offering the Hellborn Carapace mount armor to those who purchase the Digital Deluxe edition or the expensive Limited Collector’s Box that doesn’t come with the game included.
This should answer if Diablo 4 is pay to win. While it’s shaping up to be a promising experience, only time will tell if Blizzard keeps it that way.