In the new quarterly update to Diablo IV, the team behind the game shared their thoughts on post-release content. There is a lot of new information there – about the seasons, but also about the shop and the season pass.
In the new blog update, Joesph Piepiora, the Associate Game Director for Live Service, and Kegan Clark, the Director of Product, comment on various content items that will be important after the release of Diablo IV (via Blizzard).
After there was a lot of criticism of the mobile offshoot Diablo Immortal because of Pay2Win mechanics, the developers in the new statement on Diablo IV seem to attach great importance to relieving players of their worries. Here you have to consider: Immortal is a F2P title, Diablo IV will be released as a full-price game.
It is emphasized several times that neither the shop nor the season pass in Diablo IV should allow you to buy any playful advantages over other players. These are primarily cosmetic customization options.
We summarize here for you how this should work in detail.
What’s in the Diablo IV Shop and Season Pass?
This is how the shop works: According to Kegan Clark, the shop in Diablo IV is intended as a pure “accessories” shop. It is completely optional and should only give players the opportunity to customize their character’s appearance in more detail for “premium currency”.
“Accessories offer players even more options to customize the appearance of their characters,” says the statement: “There are no items in the shop that provide a direct or indirect advantage in the game. So even though they look like powerful pieces of gear, they have no stats.”
All gameplay features are also accessible without the shop. In addition, the shop should be transparent: “It is important to us that players know exactly what to expect before they make their purchase. We’ve included a preview so players can see every detail of the accessory on their own character before deciding to purchase it.”
Accordingly, there should not be any loot boxes or similar mechanisms in the shop. In addition, the statement emphasizes that the most beautiful accessories should not be saved for the shop: “Right from the start, Diablo IV offers hundreds of transmogrifications that can be unlocked in the game, including dozens of armor sets with the highest graphic quality,” says Clark: “It are incredible items of unique and legendary quality that players can find without ever entering the shop. The shop only offers a larger selection, but not fundamentally better options.”
The trailer shows you which classes await you in Diablo 4:
Diablo 4: Druid, Sorceress and Barbarian in the gameplay trailer
How the Season Pass works: According to Clark, the season pass is the second element that you can invest money in in Diablo IV if you want to. It basically follows the example of a Battle Pass from games like Fortnite or Warzone. Diablo IV will get a new season four times a year – always including a season pass.
The pass offers multiple tiers that can be climbed by playing the game. There are two variants of the season pass, a free option and a paid premium option.
Here, too, the statement emphasizes: “The premium levels offer no power or advantages over other players,” says Clark: “The free levels of the pass bring gameplay bonuses to all players. So things that make leveling a new seasonal character faster and easier. In contrast, Premium tier rewards revolve around aesthetics and offer great value in the form of accessories and premium currency.”
The Season Boosts are intended to be free for all players as they impact gameplay. However, you can also level up in the pass by buying them – but you shouldn’t get the boosts faster that way: “Players can’t improve season boosts just by buying levels,” says Clark. You have to earn Tier Milestones at the same time in order to use these boosts, while all other bonuses from the Season Pass are directly applicable: “In other words, there is no way to get Season Boosts faster by purchasing tiers. You have to earn it.”
Diablo IV gets different seasons
This is how the seasons run after release: As mentioned in the season pass, Diablo IV will get up to four new seasons per year, similar to Diablo 3.
They should not only bring the new season pass, but also additional content:
In addition, the developers want to listen to player criticism of current seasons in order to introduce new features: “Based on the feedback we receive, the team will come up with game-enhancing features and fine-tuning ideas to improve the overall experience”, explains Joe Puepiora: “The community can then vote on the priorities.”
In addition, live events will take place and a “seasonal trip” will also be available. It consists of several challenges, ends with a particularly difficult boss and should help you progress faster in the season pass.
Overall, Diablo IV will be a long-term project: “An army of developers will take care of Diablo IV for many years to come,” promises Kegan Clark: “We have such exciting plans for the seasons that we want everyone to be able to enjoy them, regardless whether they spend money on it.”
What do you think of the Diablo IV announcement? Does that make you optimistic, did you expect it that way, or do you see the statement critically? Tell us in the comments!