Diablo 4 players slam “predatory” Battle Pass missing staple feature from CoD & Fortnite
BlizzardThe first Battle Pass arrived as part of the Diablo 4 Season 1 update but players have hit back at the currency rewards it offers, calling the system “predatory.”
Diablo 4 Season 1 brought plenty of fresh content to Blizzard’s successful action RPG, from the new Malignant Hearts to Cormond’s questline. Although many of the class nerfs are set to be reverted in the 1.1.1 update, there’s still plenty for fans to get stuck into.
This includes the first Diablo 4 Battle Pass, which allows players to earn a steady stream of rewards as they tick off Season Journey challenges. Among the rewards players can earn on the Battle Pass are Coins, which can then be put towards future Battle Passes in later seasons.
However, upon closer inspection, Diablo 4 players have discovered that the system might be more “predatory” than it first seems. The Diablo 4 Battle Pass included 666 Coins in total, but Reddit user ‘jessewperez1’ posted an explanation of why this was “mathematically the scummiest amount Blizzard could have given.”
The OP worked out that after two Battle Passes have been bought, players will have 1,332 Coins, enough to purchase the Season 3 Battle Pass with change. However, earning all the rewards would then leave them with 998, two Coins away from being able to afford the Season 4 Battle Pass.
They argued that was “no doubt intentional,” as it forces Diablo 4 players into purchasing another Battle Pass with their own money despite being so close to the 1,000 Coins required.
Many players in the comments compared the system to CoD or Fortnite, where those who bought and fully completed one Battle Pass have enough in-game currency to get the next one for free. The fact that Blizzard didn’t take this approach in Diablo 4, which costs $70 to buy anyway, caused plenty of frustration.
“A paid battle pass that doesn’t pay for itself when completed, in a fully priced game with its own cosmetics store and paid expansions planned is so wild to me,” said one player, with another agreeing: “It’s a weird and confusing system that seems kinda scummy.”
With the backlash to Season 1, Blizzard have proved that they are open to making changes when the community response is strong enough. With this in mind, maybe we’ll see changes to the Diablo 4 Battle Pass in future seasons.
For more on Diablo 4, be sure to check out the best Necromancer builds and how to unlock Sigil Crafting.