Diablo 4 has made millions from microtransactions despite constant criticism

That's a lot of zeroes.

The dark silhouette of a demonic woman with horns and bat-like wings against a red background
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Diablo 4 suffered a rocky first few months and, though it did improve over time, amassed a ton of critics along the way. Despite all the lambasting from players, the dungeon crawler has done well, earning over a billion dollars total since launch—and $150 million from microtransactions alone.

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As reported by PC Gamer via Gamepressure, Blizzard’s senior product manager for Diablo 4, Harrison Froeschke, recently shared a lot of information about the game on his LinkedIn profile, specifically the numbers the title had hit since launch. The now-hidden details, Gamepressure shows, include Froeschke boasting that Diablo 4 has made a whopping billion dollars since its launch in June 2023 and how it has managed to earn “over $150 million micro-transaction lifetime revenue.” Blizzard managed this despite the near-constant criticism from the players—which has subsided somewhat following seasonal patches that have improved the game since launch.

Aldkin, one of the new mercenaries in Diablo 4, surrounded by fire.
Diablo 4 earned nearly $700 million during its launch week. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

While the revenue from Diablo 4 isn’t all that surprising, given that the game earned nearly $700 million in its first week, the microtransaction income is a testament to the state of the industry, especially that of the live-service market. It seems that people really love their horse armor and will stop at nothing to get it—the quality of the gameplay and levels be damned. The upcoming release of Vessel of Hatred and Diablo 4‘s sixth season are bound to bump these numbers even more, with the microtransaction revenue likely to increase with the influx of new and returning players.

On the topic of Vessel of Hatred, Diablo 4‘s first expansion is set to launch in less than a month on Oct. 8 and will be available to players on all platforms, including both current and old-gen consoles.

Author
Image of Andrej Barovic
Andrej Barovic
Strategic Content Writer, English Major. Been in writing for 3 years. Focused mostly on the world of gaming as a whole, with particular interest in RPGs, MOBAs, FPS, and Grand Strategies. Favorite titles include Counter-Strike, The Witcher 3, Bloodborne, Sekrio, and Kenshi. Cormac McCarthy apologetic.