Quick Links
Diablo 4is the newest installment in the massive Diablo franchise. Diablo 4 is an action RPG that has you take control of one of five classes to battle the forces of evil in Sanctuary, a land plagued by the Eternal Conflict between Angels and Demons.
As a live service game, Diablo 4 provides constant and consistent updates through Seasons, Battle Passes, and time-limited events. If you’re wondering whether Diablo 4 is worth playing, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ll take a look at how much time you may expect to invest into the game, whether it’s worth the asking price, and a few opinions from fellow players.
Updated June 12, 2025: It’s been a few months since Diablo 4’s launch, and with almost two full Seasons under its belt, we thought we should come back and ask once again: is Diablo 4 worth playing?
Review
In his review of Diablo 4, features editor Eric Switzer praised the game for sticking to its visionof a slower-paced, more methodical version of Diablo. Attacks are weightier thanks to the slightly closer camera and detailed animations, and combat feels more meaningful and impactful.
It took a good dozen hours for me to accept how much has changed in Diablo 4, and start to appreciate the new direction.
If you’re a long-time fan of the Diablo franchise, these changes may be off-putting at first, but Blizzard’s commitment to this vision of the game means these new systems are cohesive and purposefully implemented. Eric also spoke highly of the story in Diablo 4, stating “you can get a lot out of Diablo 4 even if you’re only playing it for the story.”
Time Expenditure
As an ARPG, Diablo 4 can be played for hundreds, if not thousands of hours, even on a single character. The grindy nature of the genre means you can constantly work towards upgrading your character with new gear, letting you invest however much time you want into the game. In past entries, it wouldn’t be surprising to see players put well over 300 hours into the game.
If you’re just playing Diablo 4 for the story, you can expect to beat it in around 26 hours, according to data polled fromHowLongToBeat.com. If you spend a bit more time exploring Sanctuary, completing optional side quests and dungeons, you’ll average around 45 hours before you see the game’s credits.
Seasons
As with most live service games, Diablo 4 has seasonal content that is added to the game on a roughly three-month basis. During a season, you’ll be able to play through a few new story quests, hunt new bosses, and of course, grind for new gear.
Seasons offer a fresh start, meaning you’ll start over from level one on a new character with each Season. During the season, you can track your progress and earn limited rewards through the Battle Pass. You can earn free and premium rewards by progressing through the Battle Pass; we’ll take a deeper look at the cost of Battle Passes in the next section.
If you play through each Season, leveling a character from scratch and gearing up each time, you may spend an endless amount of time in Sanctuary. Seasons add repeatable endgame content that greatly increases the amount of time you can put into the game.
Cost
Diablo 4 is available on PC, through the Battle.net Launcher or Steam, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. On all platforms, the game is $69.99 for the Standard Edition, $89.99 for the Digital Deluxe Edition, and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition.
Additionally, Diablo 4 features an in-game shop where you can purchase cosmetic items for things like outfits and new mount appearances. Purchases in the in-game shop are made using the premium Platinum currency, which converts to around $1 for 100 Platinum, or around $20 to buy an outfit for your character.
Battle Pass
With each new Season comes a new Battle Pass, which itself is offered in two version: free and Premium. While you’re able to progress through the free version of the Battle Pass and have no gameplay disadvantage, you may want to buy the Premium Battle Pass to unlock time-limited cosmetic items like armor sets, weapon cosmetics, mounts, or emotes.
The Premium Battle Pass costs 1,000 Platinum or $10, while the Premium Accelerated Battle Pass, which also boosts you 20 Battle Pass Tiers and grants an exclusive cosmetic, costs 2,800 Platinum, or $24.99.
If you fully complete the Premium Battle Pass, you’ll earn back 700 Platinum, which will “discount” the price of the next Battle Pass or store cosmetic, but is not enough to fund the next one entirely.
What Players Are Saying
Well Worth The Investment - Amanda Hurych
If you’re hesitating about taking the plunge and buying Diablo 4, you should know two things. One, in nearly every aspect of the Diablo formula, this fourth entry builds and improves on what its predecessors got right, adding MMO elements that’ll keep you engrossed in the endgame and live events. Two, the game is massive, providing hundreds of hours of entertainment if you plan on getting multiple classes maxed out. Both of these things combined make Diablo 4 worth your time and money.
An Amazing ARPG That’s Rough Around The Edges - Charles Burgar
As far as raw content is concerned, Diablo 4 is worth every penny of its asking price. A lengthy campaign with astounding production quality, a massive open world to explore, and numerous endgame systems will keep any ARPG fan busy for hundreds of hours, and that’s a conservative estimate. Anyone that’s been interested in playing an ARPG but could never grasp the complexities of games like Path of Exile or Grim Dawn should definitely give Diablo 4 a look.
With that said, I would be remiss if I didn’t express my frustration with Diablo 4’s endgame and buildcrafting systems. Much of D4’s endgame has plenty of friction in the form of unnecessary downtime, expensive respec costs that discourage build experimentation, and a scaling system that makes you paradoxically weaker when you level up.
But even with those downsides, I can’t stop playing this game. Its visceral combat and grim atmosphere are the best in the genre, and nearly every problem I have with this game can be fixed through post-launch support. If Blizzard is willing to provide strong live-service support for Diablo 4, ARPG fans are in for an incredible year.
A Great Game Even For Newcomers - Stacey Henley
Despite Diablo’s storied history as an iconic ARPG, Diablo 4 is the perfect starting point not only for newcomers to the series, but newcomers to the genre. With a story that offers narrative depth and branching side quests, a character who grows alongside you, and close to 30 hours of exploration before you even begin to grind and experience the deeper side of the game, it’s easy to recommend Diablo 4 to anyone curious.
The Dungeon-Crawling Equivalent Of Popcorn - Nathan Ball
Diablo 4, in keeping with its religious overtones, is the definition of a guilty pleasure game. The intricate character building and gear management systems draw you effortlessly through dozens of hours of gameplay, leaving you bleary-eyed at your desk and still itching for one more dungeon run. Diablo 4 may very well swallow you whole, but the journey through its demonic innards is so compelling that you’ll gladly accept your fate.
Worth It For The Time and Lore - Jonathan Eakin
If you’re looking for a good ratio of money spent to time played, Diablo IV is a perfect investment. It offers up a huge amount of content to explore and hack your way through, although that sheer volume of ARPG content might be overwhelming if you’re new to the genre. For those fans of the lore of the Diablo games, Diablo IV is a treat. It builds on the story of the previous games, returning to the gothic horror the series was first known for. It’s stylistically beautiful and sets the tone for your adventures through Sanctuary perfectly.
Worth the Farming - Kenny Kimberly
Diablo 4’s second season has begun making massive strides toward improving the game from a launch that left some fans wanting more. Ongoing class balance changes are making more builds viable, while there’s still room to min-max for gamers who want to squeeze every drop of performance they can. Easier access to high-level gear and ultra-rare Uber Uniques pair well with the myriad of quality-of-life changes that have helped to lessen the extended farm these games so often require.
