We got a bite-sized sample of Diablo 4's live-service elements during the game's beta, where it became clear that Blizzard is doubling down on the seasonal model that helped give Diablo 3 legs.

The associate game director also emphasized that Diablo 4 isn't designed to make players feel 'that they must play forever,' saying the game is an action RPG first rather than an MMO. Piepiora said players who aren't interested in the endgame seasonal grind can skip it altogether and return when a story update happens without being left behind. Like most games with live-service elements, the battle pass will have one free track for all players, and a premium paid track with cosmetic rewards. Working through season-specific objectives will move you along the battle pass as you level up your character to level 100. Each season, you'll start with a new seasonal character that begins at level 1. The interview also shed some light on how the battle bass system will work. 'To level a character to level 100 could take a little longer than that based on how you play.' 'Right now, the battle pass, when you're figuring in completing the season journey alongside doing other content in the game, you're looking at roughly 80 hours worth of time invested to complete the entirety of the battle pass,' Piepiora said. In an interview with PC Gamer, associate game director Joe Piepiora revealed the length fans can expect to complete each season's battle pass.