• Since its early access launch on 1st June, Diablo IV has been played for a combined 10 000 years in length.
• It has become Blizzard’s best-selling game to date.
• The game takes place 50 years after the events of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls.

The allure of fighting through dungeons of undead has proved irresistible for millions of players as Blizzard’s latest title Diablo IV has become its fastest selling title to date.

The company reports that since early access on 1st June the game was played for 93 million hours or 10 000 years collectively.

“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 personalised 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,” said Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson.

Diablo IV sees a return to Sanctuary this time to face Lilith and the hordes of horrific creatures her arrival in the mortal realm brings. The new addition to the series takes place 50 years after the events of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls.

Early reviews say that Diablo IV offers more of the same demon-slaying magic the past titles have. Blizzard has baked live service elements into the game through a Battle Pass system which goes live later this year. It remains to be seen how aggressive the developer is when it comes to microtransactions although it has said these will mostly be cosmetic.

That having said, this new game is incredibly pricey on all platforms.

• Diablo IV Standard Edition for Xbox One, Series X|S – R1 379
• Diablo IV Standard Edition for PlayStation 4 or 5 – R1 379
• Diablo IV Standard Edition for PC – R1 429 (depending on exchange rate)

PC players are at the mercy of the exchange rate with the Euro hence the higher price. The standard edition of the game includes cosmetics for Diablo III, World of Warcraft and Diablo Immortal.

It’s a pricey foray back into the world of Diablo IV and we’re currently doing the very tough job of playing through the game to let you know if it’s worth spending as much as it costs to play through.

“With highly customizable gameplay, gripping storytelling, and plenty of options around how to engage with the world, this masterfully crafted expression of the Diablo universe is an outstanding example of what our talented development teams are capable of. Whether you’re a veteran of the series or diving into Sanctuary for the first time, we welcome players to the global launch of Diablo IV,” Blizzard president, Mike Ybarra said in a statement.