Diablo 4 Becomes Blizzard's Fastest-Selling Game Of All Time
Since its initial announcement in 2019, "Diablo 4" has been one of the most hotly-anticipated video game releases from veteran game publisher and developer Blizzard Entertainment. The development process was prolonged by complications from the COVID-19 pandemic, not to mention multiple controversies surrounding Blizzard and its partner company Activision, but this week, everything finally came to a head.
"Diablo 4" officially launched in an early access state on June 1 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4, followed by its full public release today. In the five days since the game's early access launch, players have been out in force, logging hours upon hours of playtime. According to Blizzard's official press release shared with Business Wire, players have already logged 93 million hours on the game, roughly equivalent to about 10,000 years. This has led to "Diablo 4" becoming the biggest game that Blizzard has ever launched, and considering some of the other titles in Blizzard's library, that's saying something.
The end of a long road
Thanks to its lengthy development, "Diablo 4" is one of Blizzard's most ambitious games, placing players in a massive open world with deep, customizable character mechanics to battle the monstrous forces invading the land of Sanctuary. The game can be played solo, as well as with up to three friends online or one friend in couch co-op.
"This is a moment years in the making for the Diablo IV team," Rod Fergusson, general manager of Diablo, said in Blizzard's press release. "We're extremely proud to offer players the richest story ever told in a Diablo game. Players have a range of choices, including personal character customization, equipping personalized skills for battling horrific demons, or collecting Legendary loot to support your playstyle while discovering new ones. Since the game was first announced in 2019, the support from millions of players around the world drove us toward this release of our dark vision of Sanctuary. Hail Lilith, Blessed Mother."
"Diablo 4" is available for digital download on PC via Blizzard's website, as well as both digital and physical copies on Xbox and PlayStation consoles. The Standard Edition costs $69.99, the Deluxe Edition costs $89.99 and comes with a premium season one Battle Pass unlock, and the Ultimate Edition costs $99.99 and comes with an accelerated season one Battle Pass unlock. All three editions also come with limited-edition cosmetic items.