The recent news that Steam, the leading digital distribution platform for PC games, features free-to-play titles as over half of its top-selling games is a big deal for the gaming industry, but especially for one franchise in particular:Diablo.Diablo 4is finally releasing in the summer of 2023 as a paid game with microtransactions. In a gaming landscape where free-to-play live-service titles with microtransactions are gaining most of the top spots on Steam,Diablo 4could see great success if deadlines are maintained.
According to data from 2022, seven out of the twelve best-selling games on Steam were free-to-play games, with titles such asDestiny,Apex Legends,Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, andLost Arkleading the pack. This trend is a significant shift from the past, where traditional premium games were the norm in the top-selling charts. A large part of why these games are thriving could be attributed to most of them adopting a live-service model where the game is always in a state of development. Said constant development usually translates to a consistent rate of new features and content for players to enjoy. Though it will not be free-to-play, the success of live service titles could show thatDiablo 4is on the path to success.
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There Are A Variety of Ways Live Service Games Make Money
The shift toward free-to-play games is not surprising, given the growing popularity of games-as-a-service models. These models allow players to try a game before committing to any purchase, big or small, and also offer opportunities for monetization through skins, emotes, battle passes, and DLC down the road. The success of free-to-play games on Steam demonstrates that this model is viable for both developers and players, and it’s likely that they will see more and more games adopt this approach in the future. While not free-to-play,Diablo 4’s games-as-a-service modelcould benefit Blizzard.
This shift in the gaming industry could not have come at a better time forDiablo, one of the few major franchises with microtransactions set to release next year.Diablo 4, the highly-anticipated fourth installment sitting near the top of theaction-RPG genre, is set to release on Jun 23, 2025, and is reportedly taking a non-predatory approach to monetization and microtransactions. This means that the game will not use exploitative monetization practices that are anti-consumer and worth criticizing, such as pay-to-win mechanics or locking content behind paywalls.
Diablo 4 is Set To Do Well Even if it Never Releases on Steam
With the growing popularity of games-as-a-service titles on Steam andDiablo 4’s approach to monetization, it’s possible thatDiablo 4could be a hit with players and perform well on the Blizzard platform. Additionally, the game’s non-predatory approach to microtransactions could help to set it apart from other games on its own platform and on other platforms like Steam, giving it an edge over the competition. Considering theprevious success ofDiablo 3, Diablo 2: Resurrected,and the hype behind such a big release in the franchise,Diablo 4shouldn’t have any issues doing well on its own merit.
Ultimately, the recent trend offree-to-play gamesperforming well on Steam is big news for the gaming industry as a whole and could have a big impact on the future of the way players play and pay for games. For theDiablofranchise,Diablo 4will likely be a great opportunity for further growth amidst the challenges associated with a big launch. With a fair, non-predatory approach to monetization and microtransactions and no further delays or cut content,Diablo 4’s success could be ever more likely.
Diablo 4launches on Jul 08, 2025, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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