Diablo 4 has made $1 billion and counting for Blizzard, and a huge chunk of that comes from devilish microtransactions
Over a year after its launch, we have an idea of how much revenue Diablo 4 has made.
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Blizzard Entertainment’s huge action RPGDiablo 4was undoubtedly one of 2023’s biggest games, and it’s remained an incredibly popular title over the course of this year as well. It’s always been clear that it’s been a financial success, but now, thanks to some newly discovered details on the LinkedIn page of Blizzard senior product manager Harrison Froeschke (thanks,Gamepressure), we have an idea of exactly how much cash it’s pulled in for the developer.
According to what Froeschke wrote (his profile has since been taken down), Diablo 4 has made over $1 billion in all-time revenue since its launch in early June last year. Of that, a sizable $150 million has some from microtransaction purchases on in-game shop items like weapon skins, armor sets, and other premium cosmetics.
“Leading the monetization strategy of the store cosmetics, pricing, bundle offers, personalized discounts, and roadmap planning which have driven over $150M MTX lifetime revenue,” read part of the description of Froeschke’s work at the studio. He also helped carry out “every step of game sales since game pre-order to the first expansion by configuring and collaborating with other teams resulting in over $1B total lifetime revenue.”
Given thatDiablo 4 stands as the fastest-selling Blizzard game ever, its impressive performance isn’t exactlyshocking. Still, what I was surprised to see is that the game’s microtransactions account for a full 15% of its total revenue, given that it’s a fully priced title on all of its platforms. And sure, some of its players come fromXbox Game Pass, but the hack-and-slash ARPG only made it to Microsoft’s buffet-style gaming service in March followingthe firm’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard for Xbox.
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Another reason I was surprised by the statistic is that Diablo 4’s in-game purchases are notorious for being egregiously overpriced, especially for items being sold in a game that already has a $40-50 barrier-to-entry. We’ve written about howDiablo 4 has done little to earn these shop pricesin the past, but as my colleague Jez Corden wrote in that piece, many players are likely detached from community discourse and don’t care much. Perhaps that’s what this number is telling us.
To Blizzard’s credit, Diablo 4 has been updated frequently over time with numerous high-level patches, withits next big update poised to make the Season of Loot Reborn look like a hotfixwith how massive it is. That comes afterSeason 5’s patch notes were so long that my finger got tired scrolling through them; overall, if there’s one thing to be said with certainty, it’s that the game’s developers are not resting on their laurels.
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On that note, it’s worth keeping in mind thatDiablo 4’s Vessel of Hatredexpansion is just a few weeks away from its scheduled October 8 release, with the DLC bringing the returning Diablo 2 zones Teganze Plains and Torajan Jungle, a fresh story centered around the Prime Evil Mephisto, anda dexterity-based class called the Spiritbornto the action RPG. Following its launch,Blizzard then intends to allow feedback on the expansion to guide their approachtowards future seasons and the second upcoming DLC.
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Ultimately, even with the negative reputation Diablo 4’s in-game purchases have, it’s clear that they — along with the game itself — are continuing to rake in a healthy profit, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
Diablo 4: Vessel of HatredUnlock a new entry in the story campaign, a new Nahantu region, and the first-ever new class for Diablo 4 — the Spiritborn. Purchase today to unlock cosmetics you can use up until the launch of October 8 and beyond, from armor to pets to a cat mount!Battle.net|Xbox|Steam
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
