If you’ve played Diablo 4‘s beta, you know it’s shaping up to be one of the biggest (and best) releases of 2023. Our impression of the game so far is that it’s a hell of a comeback for the franchise. And we now have some more insight into how Blizzard is planning to support the game for the long haul: seasons and a battle pass.
Like Diablo 3 before it, Diablo 4 will feature seasons, which will run for three months, according to Game Director Joe PiepioraIn in a recent interview with Game Informer. In addition, these seasons will include meaningful story updates, which was not the case for Diablo 3.
Diablo 4 will also include paid and free battle passes, which isn’t terribly surprising given its status as a live service game. That’s just the nature of the beast.
These revelations made some question whether Diablo 4 would be eschewing more traditional expansions like Diablo 2‘s Lord of Destruction or Diablo 3‘s Reaper of Souls, which are widely regarded as high points of those games, and in Reaper of Souls‘ case, what made Diablo 3 work after a famously troubled launch.
Fans shouldn’t worry, though. Diablo 4 will still be getting traditional expansions. The news was confirmed by Diablo boss Rod Fergusson in a Twitter conversation with Forbes‘ Paul Tassi. When asked whether Diablo 4 would still be receiving big expansions, Fergusson said, “our live service will be seasons and expansions.”
Yes, our live service will be seasons and expansions.
— Rod Fergusson (@RodFergusson) April 12, 2023
The decision makes sense. While Diablo 4 is clearly incorporating live service trends like battle passes and seasonal content, it’s doing so in a way that respects the series’ legacy and allows Blizzard to make major changes with new expansions. Diablo 4 releases on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on June 6.
Featured image by Blizzard Entertainment.
