Diablo 4 PS5 PS4 PlayStation

Reaping the live service whirlwind, Blizzard is in yet more hot water with Diablo 4 players after it was realised the popular action RPGs Battle Pass only pays out 666 Platinum upon completion, in keeping with the title's hellish marketing. This is not enough to purchase the next Season's Battle Pass or any cosmetic item, with the cheapest costing 800 Platinum (thanks, IGN), which is pretty wild when you stop to consider.

Blizzard's move breaks with long-held (at least, in terms of the relatively recent phenomenon) live service norms; in games like Fortnite and Call of Duty, players hardcore enough to complete a Battle Pass are normally rewarded with enough premium currency to grant them access to the next. This is just sound business sense, as ideally, you want your super users busily engaged with your game, not calling you out on Twitter and in forums.

Diablo 4 Battle Pass

The Battle Pass, which runs for $10 USD (or your local equivalent), was already the course of some controversy, with players claiming the game's maliciously designed UI was resulting in unintended purchases. But we stand atop the shoulders of giants; Diablo 4's self-inflicted season of discontent really began on 18th July, when the developer decided to nerf its player base's hard-won builds into the ground.

What do you think is going on with Blizzard's live service plan? Hoard you Platinum and get yourself something nice next time in the comments section below.

[source ign.com]