The Diablo 4 battle pass release date and price has been confirmed, following a Diablo Developer Update which delved into the immediate future of Blizzard's action-RPG. We now have a better idea of what to expect from the first live service Diablo game, including how paid progression and seasonal rotation will work – a concern I raised back in my Diablo 4 review. Thankfully, it looks as if battle pass for Diablo 4 has been designed to cater to all players, not just those who open up their virtual wallets in Sanctuary.
Below, I'm going to make sure that the Diablo 4 battle pass is properly explained. We'll get into the seasonal structure, the rewards, how it all works, and more. Naturally, the battle pass is going to run alongside Diablo 4 Season 1 so you may want to brush up on this new dire threat emerging – Malignant Monsters are roaming the land, and you're only going to have a few months to fight the twisted corruption back. Anyway, let's just get into it: here's everything you need to know about the Diablo 4 Season 1 battle pass.
Diablo 4 battle pass release date and time
The release date for the Diablo 4 battle pass is July 20. It's set to launch alongside D4 Season 1, with the two directly interconnected. It's worth noting that a patch will go live on July 18 which will allow you to begin propagating your progression over to the new seasonal realm, so you have until then to collect as many Diablo 4 Altar of Lilith statues and discover as many areas as you can as your renown and Diablo 4 map progression will carry across to your new seasonal character.
The Diablo 4 Battle pass start times have been confirmed as:
- July 20, 10am PDT
- July 20, 1pm EDT
- July 20, 6pm BST
- July 20, 7pm CEST
When does the Diablo 4 battle pass end?
Blizzard is yet to set a firm end date or time for the Diablo 4 Battle Pass, but the publisher has confirmed that the seasons will run for three months. That means you should expect Season 1 to come to an end around October 20, giving you plenty of time to whip through all 90 tiers of the battle pass content.
Diablo 4 battle pass price
If you're wondering how much the Diablo 4 battle pass cost will run you, it isn't too bad compared to some other similar models out there. Blizzard has confirmed that there will be a free battle pass, which will include 27 tiers of cosmetics and other in-game items, but there will be a Premium Battle Pass for those who want to get the most out of Season 1.
| TYPE | PRICE | CONTENTS |
|---|---|---|
| Battle Pass | Free | 27 tiers |
| Premium Battle Pass | 1,000 Platinum ($9.99 / £8.39) | 90 Tiers |
| Accelerated Battle Pass | 2,800 Platinum ($24.99/£20.99) | 90 Tiers and 20 Tier Skips |
Diablo 4 Battle Pass explained
The Diablo 4 Battle Pass is directly tied to the Season of the Malignant. Diablo 4 is operating a seasonal model, where you'll need to start a new Seasonal character and then progress it from scratch to earn special cosmetics and items. As you continue to slay across Sanctuary you will earn rewards from the Season Journey and Battle Pass. Season Journey is a series of objectives split into chapters, and completing these is perhaps the easiest way to earn Favor – that's the resource you'll use to progress through Battle Pass tiers – although it can also be earned from killing monsters and completing quests in the open world.
Is the Diablo 4 Premium Battle Pass worth it?
As with anything that costs real world money, only you can make the determination as to whether something is worth the cost of entry. But here's what I can tell you, that the differences between the battle passes – and the rewards on offer across them – seem to be pretty evenly spread. Below you'll find the differences between the three and what each will give you to help you make the decision. Oh, and remember, if you purchased the Diablo 4 Ultimate Edition then you'll have access to an Accelerated Battle Pass which can be used in Season 1.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | FREE BATTLE PASS | PREMIUM BATTLE PASS | ACCELERATED BATTLE PASS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Smoldering Ashes | Included | Included | Included |
| 27 Tiers on the Free Track (including Smoldering Ashes, armor transmogs, titles and more) | Included | Included | Included |
| 63 Tiers on the Premium Track (including armor transmogs, weapon skins, emotes and more) | Row 2 - Cell 1 | Included | Included |
| Coldiron Armor Set for each class (Base + Awoken versions) | Row 3 - Cell 1 | Included | Included |
| Warded Mustang Mount (Base + Awoken versions) | Row 4 - Cell 1 | Included | Included |
| Coldiron Barding Mount Armor (Base + Awoken versions) | Row 5 - Cell 1 | Included | Included |
| 20 Tier Skips | Row 6 - Cell 1 | Row 6 - Cell 2 | Included |
| "On the Warpath" Emote | Row 7 - Cell 1 | Row 7 - Cell 2 | Included |
Diablo 4 battle pass rewards
The Diablo 4 Battle Pass rewards encompass 90 tiers, 27 of which are available to all players with a seasonal character and 63 are a part of the Premium Battle Pass. All versions of the Battle Pass will reward you with cosmetic items and a new currency called Smoldering Ashes, which is used to earn XP and Elixir boosts throughout the season.
The Premium Battle Pass will reward you with Platinum (the premium currency which can be spent in the Diablo 4 shop), cosmetic items which are class agnostic, transmog weapons for specific classes, and other character customization elements such as emotes and markings.
- Armor skins which can be used across all classes
- Class specific transmog weapon skins
- Mount armor and trophies
- Smoldering Ashes
- Platinum
- Emotes
- Titles
- Markings/Tattoos
How to access the Diablo 4 Battle Pass
Once Diablo 4 Season 1 begins on July 20 you'll need to log into the game and start a brand new Seasonal character – each season of Diablo 4 will require you to begin a new character. To access the battle pass and any seasonal content you'll first need to complete the campaign on the base Eternal realm; once you've done this, the Free Battle Pass will be automatically available to any Seasonal characters you create. You can also purchase the Premium Battle Pass from the in-game shop, should you feel so inclined.
How to progress through the Diablo 4 Battle Pass
There are multiple ways to progress through the Diablo 4 Season Pass, but the main will be through earning Favor. You'll earn this by playing the game with your Seasonal Character – completing side quests, killing monsters, and running back through the campaign. You can also earn Favor by completing objectives in the Season Journey, a new feature being introduced to the game which breaks progression down into seven chapters. Each chapter contains a number of objectives, and you'll only need to complete a subset of these to advance to the next chapter – this means you'll still be rewarded for doing the types of activities that you enjoy, rather than forcing you into something you don't just to progress. Completing objectives in the Season Favor will earn you Favor, as well as some bonus extras such as 6 new Unique items and 7 Legendary Aspects.
What are Diablo 4 Tier Skips?
If you don't want to earn Favor or complete the Season Journey, you could use the Diablo 4 Tier Skips to jump ahead. Each Tier Skip costs 200 Platinum ($1.99) and this currency can be applied immediately to obtain one full tier jump forward in the Battle Pass.
How to redeem your Deluxe or Ultimate Edition Battle Pass?
If you purchased either the Digital Deluxe or Ultimate Edition of Diablo 4 it entitles you to one free Battle Pass. You can redeem that for use during season 1 on July 20, but you'll need to take some steps first. Once the live date rolls around, log into the game, navigate to the Seasons section of the Diablo 4 shop, and then select the option to activate your Battle Pass. Remember, this can only be done once, so if you want to get a Battle Pass in a different season you'll either need to purchase it or use the Platinum you earn throughout the season to put towards it.
What happens to the Battle Pass at the end of Diablo 4 Season 1?
Blizzard is yet to set a firm end date for Diablo 4 Season 1, but it's expected that the game will cycle through seasons quarterly – meaning you'll have about three months to complete the Battle Pass and get all of the rewards. Once the Season of the Malignant draws to an end, you'll no longer be able to access this Battle Pass as it will be replaced by another. At the end, your Seasonal character (and everything they earned) will be transferred to the Eternal Realm and Season-specific features (such as Malignant Hearts and Infested Sockets) will disappear. Basically, you have three months to make the most of the Battle Pass before the next season begins.
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