‘Diablo 4’ Is Completely Free to Play On Steam for a Limited Time
Overview & Key Takeaways
'Dablo 4' is free to play on Steam until September 21.
It's a great time to slay demons: coming off BlizzCon, Diablo 4 is free to try on Steam until Sept. 21. The base version is also 75% off on Steam and the Blizzard Store, at $12.49. Loot grinding awaits.
Still, Diablo 4’s free-to-play week comes with a few major caveats. Apparently, this version of the game restricts players to a maximum level of 30. As one Steam review noted, “After 2.4 hours I reached lvl. 16 and then, after completing a quest, got boosted to 30 instantly and got kicked off the character.” Diablo 4 is also free to try on Battle.net, letting you play the expansion class Spiritborn up to level 25.
How has Diablo 4 been received?
Since its release on Oct. 17, 2023, Diablo 4 has had a somewhat complicated reception. While critics praised the game for its sharp art direction and fun combat, many players were put off by its always-online requirements. The base game currently has 73% positive user reviews on Steam, but its most recent reviews have fallen to 62%, seemingly due to backlash over how Blizzard has handled its DLC. Many character abilities are locked behind the Lord of Hatred DLC, which costs a comparable price to the full game. While the game and both DLCs are bundled together at $69.99, there isn’t a discount for those who already bought the base game.
Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Still, even with the mixed buzz around its latest Diablo, Blizzard has been in a surprisingly good position. According to a recent leaked internal email from Blizzard President Johanna Faries, the company has been the “top performing” studio at Xbox over the last year. “This past year has marked our third-highest fiscal year for top-line revenue in Blizzard’s history,” the email said. She explained that this past fiscal year (August 2025 to July 2026) was the first time that Blizzard saw consecutive quarters of growth since Overwatch launched in 2016.
“Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred and Overwatch drove exceptional performance in particular, with Overwatch delivering its strongest quarter since 2022,” Faries wrote. Blizzard recently showcased several upcoming games at BlizzCon.They officially announced Diablo 5, which isset for Spring 2029, and revealed a StarCraft shooter planned for 2030.
Microsoft, which owns Blizzard, is currently in the process of laying off 3,200 employees and recently cut ties with several studios, including Double Fine and Ninja Theory. Microsoft purchased Activision Blizzard in 2022, shortly after Blizzard was accused of a “frat boy” office culture rife with misogyny and abuse. It later settled a discrimination lawsuit for $55 million.
