We now know more about the Diablo 4Â battle pass, including how long it will take to complete and how it will work with Seasons. We also know the max level players can hope to reach.
Now that we’ve been able to spend some time with Diablo 4 and come to grips with how the game plays, developer Blizzard Entertainment has given fans a little more information on what we can expect from the endgame.
Will Diablo 4 Have a Battle Pass? Answered
Yes: Diablo 4 will have a battle pass. The battle pass will feature two tracks: a free track and a paid track.
- The free track will be available to all players and include things like experience boosts.
- The premium track will feature paid rewards, but it will only contain cosmetics. You won’t gain a gameplay advantage for upgrading to the premium pass.
- An accelerated premium battle pass is included with the Diablo 4 Ultimate Edition. The accelerated premium battle pass includes the premium battle pass, plus 20 Tier Skips and a cosmetic.
How Much Does the Diablo 4 Battle Pass Cost?
The premium version of the Diablo 4 battle pass will cost $10, and each battle pass will last for three months. You can buy the premium pass separately, but it’s also included in the game’s Digital Deluxe Edition.
How Long Will It Take to Complete the Battle Pass?
Finishing the battle pass will take about 80 hours, according to Associate Game Director Joe Piepiora, though players will probably have to play longer if they want to hit Diablo 4‘s max level of 100.
“Right now, the battle pass, when you’re figuring in completing the season journey alongside doing other content in the game, you’re looking at roughly 80 hours worth of time invested to complete the entirety of the battle pass,” Piepiora told PC Gamer in an interview. “To level a character to Level 100 could take a little longer than that based on how you play.”
The decision to allow players to finish the battle pass before they reach Level 100 is an intentional one.
While there’s plenty in Diablo 4 to keep players invested once they’ve reached max level — including nightmare dungeons filled with unique challenges, bounties, and open-world PVP — it isn’t necessary to engage with that if you don’t want to.
Blizzard’s design philosophy is to let players get what they want out of the game before moving on if they choose to. If later content interests them, the idea is that it will be easy to return and do what they like before taking a break.
If you’re there for the end-game grind, it’s ready and waiting for you. But if you’re there for Diablo 4‘s story, you can skip the endgame and return when new story updates — or anything else that interests you — are added without missing out.
“We’re not trying to say the only way to play Diablo 4 is to engage with the endgame and go all the way to Level 100 with every character you ever make,” Piepiora continued.
What won’t be new is Diablo 4 seasons, which were a staple of Diablo 3‘s lifecycle post-Reaper of Souls. Seasons will work much like they did in Diablo 3, where you’ll start a new character and level them from 1-100 each time. Participating in objectives in the endgame each season and working through each season’s objectives will grant you something called “favor,” which will progress your battle pass.
Some people will likely balk at Diablo 4‘s Battle Pass. After all, this is a $70 game. However, I think the $10 price is reasonable, and the Battle Pass only offers cosmetic rewards. You don’t have to pay for it if you don’t want to, and you won’t get a gameplay advantage if you do. Until we see it in action, however, it’s impossible to say. As of this writing, Diablo 4‘s Battle Pass isn’t out yet, but we’ll update this article when it is.
And that’s what we know about the Diablo 4 battle pass so far. Blizzard’s aRPG released for PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on June 6.
