Microtransactions fuel revenue run as Diablo IV crosses $1 billion in lifetime earnings

Oops: Diablo IV is essentially printing money for its developer and publisher, Blizzard, as revealed by a LinkedIn slip-up. Harrison Froeschke, who leads the game's monetization strategy, inadvertently shared on the platform that the game has already raked in over $150 million solely from microtransactions and cosmetic items.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Froeschke also revealed that from pre-orders to the upcoming first expansion, Diablo IV's total lifetime revenue has already surpassed $1 billion. That figure is no small feat, but it's not surprising considering Diablo IV is Blizzard's fastest-selling game ever.

As Froeschke wrote, he led "the monetization strategy of the store cosmetics, pricing, bundle offers, personalized discounts, and roadmap planning which have driven over $150M MTX lifetime revenue" and also executed "every step of game sales since game pre-order to the first expansion by configuring and collaborating with other teams resulting in over $1B total lifetime revenue."

It seems Froeschke wasn't supposed to disclose these figures so openly, as his profile has since been taken down – though not before GamePressure managed to grab a screenshot. The only official figures Blizzard has released came shortly after the game's launch in June, when Diablo IV had already generated over $666 million in its first week, largely due to pre-orders.

As for microtransactions, Diablo IV has faced significant backlash for the steep prices of many in-game items. Players were particularly upset about $28 armor sets at launch. The $65 Father's Judgment mount bundle was another hard pill to swallow.

Blizzard has also capitalized on seasonal Battle Passes and expansions to further boost revenue. The first major DLC, Vessel of Hatred, is set to launch on October 8 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It will introduce a new class called the Spiritborn, a new jungle region, co-op dungeons, and possibly even more microtransaction items.

At this pace, Diablo IV could become a billion-dollar annualized franchise sooner than expected.

The game's success highlights why major publishers continue to push economies driven by microtransactions and Battle Passes, even in titles that come with hefty price tags. The standard edition of Diablo IV launched at $69.99. When executed well, microtransaction-heavy games can generate massive profits long after launch, keeping fans engaged while steadily minting revenue.