Buy-to-play, not free-to-play
As opposed to free-to-play games, like Path of Exile, that fully support themselves with microtransactions (MTX), Diablo 4, like past Diablo games, will use a buy-to-play (B2P) model [1]. Players will have to purchase the base game, likely costing around $50 USD from Blizzard's Battle.net (although there may be other outlets):
"Diablo 4 will be available as a base game."Joe Shely · Diablo IV Game Director ·
This model has been confirmed as recently as June 2020 [2] by Diablo's Community Manager, Adam "PezRadar" Fletcher:
"Diablo 4 is releasing as a full price game."·
Expansions planned
Blizzard wants Diablo 4 to have a long life and already has expansions planned for the game. These expansions will also be buy-to-play, albeit likely cheaper than the base game's price.
"We're going to have expansions."
Xiphoid has been playing Diablo since the original's release in 1997. He made one of the largest Age of Empires sites in the late-'90s and early-'00s. Now, he runs MythicDrop.com, a premier Diablo 4 fansite.
Sources
| Article | Source | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Streamer Quin69 interviews Blizzard's Joe Shely | Blizzard | |
| 2. | Diablo Community Manager confirms base game model | Blizzard |
Changelog
| Ver | Change | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Alpha | Added updated Blizzard confirmation on base game model | |
 |
Alpha | Published original |
