Blizzard has launched a Diablo IV free trial for this weekend.
As reported by Video Games Chronicle, Diablo IV is free to play from today until October 30, 2023. But this is only available on Battle.net.
Both Battle.net and Steam do have Diablo IV for sale for 25 % off, so if you liked what you got to play, you can go on and get the game a bit cheaper. Of course, on Steam you won’t get your progress carried over.
Blizzard has also implemented a level cap for this free trial. So, the trial will also end for you when you hit Level 20.
Diablo IV is one of the biggest game releases of 2023. It did come out earlier this year hitting an 86 out of 96 critic reviews. Many of those reviews rate it at a perfect 10/10, but Blizzard has been facing a problem with it since its release.
And this is in relation to the seasons that Blizzard has promised its fans. To deal with the demand for constant content, Blizzard saw it fit to add seasons to Diablo IV’s post-game, making this part of the game similar to a live service game.
That sort of radical change from full scale expansions is a hard sell to hardcore players, but the main thing Blizzard needed to take care of was that they would deliver on that promise of constant content that would compel players to keep playing, when they would have usually moved on to other games.
Season 1, Season of the Malignant, did not live up to those expectations. Fans were generally dissatisfied with the amount of content and the gameplay loop it provided.
It’s for this reason that Blizzard had to try extra hard with Season 2, Season of Blood. They have pulled out the stops with this one, bringing vampires into the Diablo universe for the first time, and grabbing a big Hollywood celebrity to draw attention in Gemma Chan.
Reviews have been positive for this Season, and Blizzard is trying to get the word out for Diablo IV players to return, and of course, for prospective new players to consider joining in for the first time. And that’s the point of this free trial.
Blizzard is in an uncertain and exciting position right now, as they roll out the season they have planned for Diablo IV after being acquired by Microsoft. Diablo IV’s performance, especially their seasons, will be Microsoft’s first impressions of the franchise, and direct what they do from there. If you liked where Blizzard is going, you may want to jump back in and show Microsoft your interest.
