Diablo 3 players are sticking to their 12-year-old favorite, ignoring Blizzard’s attempt to entice players with Diablo 4’s in-game purchases, seasonal content, and expansions.
Diablo 3 first dropped in 2012, giving players over a decade of loot-grinding satisfaction. Diablo 4, the highly-anticipated follow-up, was unleashed in June 2023. But apparently, nostalgia runs deep.
Despite the flashy marketing and updates, Diablo 4 isn’t pulling the expected crowd away from its older sibling. Blizzard’s own numbers show that Diablo 3 still commands a loyal following of around 3 million active players. Diablo 4, by comparison, has around 4 million – but it’s a far cry from a mass exodus.
In an interview with VGC, Rod Fergusson, General Manager at Blizzard, isn’t sweating it. He reassured everyone that Blizzard’s goal isn’t to force players to move on from Diablo 3.
“One of the things you’ll notice about Blizzard is that we tend not to turn any games off,” Fergusson said. He also emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting its titles for the long haul. And if you’ve been riding the Diablo 3 wave for over a decade, that’s probably music to your ears.
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Fergusson isn’t subtle about why Blizzard would love players to switch over, though. Diablo 4’s shop, battle pass, and expansions promise plenty of financial upside.
If rumors are true, the franchise’s fourth iteration has gained millions in microtransactions. But Fergusson insisted, “We’re not trying to actively be like, ‘how do we move them off Diablo 3.’”
Looking forward, Blizzard is planning big things for Diablo 4 with its first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, dropping this October. But Fergusson was quick to deny there’s any yearly expansion plan, despite speculation.
Whether or not Diablo 4 will manage to win over more holdouts is yet to be seen – but with Diablo 3 still alive and kicking, fans clearly aren’t ready to flip the page just yet.