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Despite being a premium release, Diablo 4 is chock-full of microtransactions for players to purchase. From $65 horse bundles to cheaper skins, the game has countless ways to spend extra on customisation, and they’re selling like hotcakes.
Diablo 4 microtransactions make millions
Senior Product Manager for Diablo 4, Harrison Froeschke, revealed in a LinkedIn post just how much players have spent on microtransactions. With over $1 billion of lifetime revenue for the AAA action RPG, additional purchases make up a hefty chunk of change.
In the employee’s LinkedIn profile, via GamePressure, it’s revealed that players have spent a total of $150 million on additional purchases. These purchases include in-store cosmetics, bundles and personalised discounts for individual players. The LinkedIn page has since been removed.
As expected, Diablo’s move towards microtransactions—following the rampant success of Overwatch loot boxes—has been a rampant success. Making up around 15% of all D4 revenue, the small purchases have added up over the game’s year-long release cycle.
With a new expansion on the way in the form of Vessel of Hatred, Blizzard will likely introduce additional microtransactions for players to purchase. With an added focus on multiplayer for the RPG’s new endgame features, including a party finder tool, there’s now an even bigger incentive for players to show off their skins.
An inevitable success
As with most AAA games these days, such as Call of Duty and Fortnite, the microtransaction economy is still going strong. Despite the end of predatory loot boxes, the skins economy is one that has, once again, locked into the minds of players.
While free-to-play games like Overwatch 2, Halo Infinite or League of Legends, survive entirely on microtransactions, premium experiences like Diablo and CoD utilise the market for additional revenue. However, with the rising cost of game development, how micro will these transactions stay?
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred releases on PC, Xbox and PlayStation on October 8, 2024. For more stories on this game, check out how one player broke everything when they discovered a method for infinite damage.
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