The next entry of the Diablo series is finally here and has had a nearly-flawless launch, at least for Blizzard standards, thanks to several public betas that helped to stress test servers. Players who pre-ordered upgraded versions of the game could get into Diablo 4 a few days before its official release on June 6, 2023.
A few days' early access might not seem like much of a head start, but every hour counts in an ARPG series that's as much about the endgame as the journey to get there. Indeed, it doesn't actually take that long to beat the campaign for Diablo 4, especially if players focus only on main quests. But once the story reaches its end, the main gameplay loop of Diablo 4 is just getting started.
It Takes About 35 Hours To Beat Diablo 4, But...
To beat the main story in other Diablo games, players could expect to spend around 20 to 30 hours in Sanctuary – but that's if they really rush through it and avoid all side content. Diablo 4 will be a 35-hour experience for the average player, as revealed in an interview published by PCGamesN, and corroborated by other outlets who have had a chance to play through the whole game and the developers themselves.
In the PCGamesN interview from June 12, 2022, game director Joe Shely said he estimates the Diablo 4 campaign to be around 35 hours long. Now a year later, with the game released, this figure has been corroborated by players and other outlets. According to GameSpot's Alessandro Barbosa, who reviewed Diablo 4 early, it took 30 hours to beat the whole game on Veteran mode (World Tier 2).
Diablo 4's Campaign is Only A Fraction Of Its Content
The Diablo 4 experience doesn't end when the main campaign is over. Like other ARPGs, and other Diablo games, Diablo 4 has an extensive post-game that rivals the leveling process. But even when players reach the true maximum level, cap their paragon points, and think they've done all there is to be done, a Seasonal Update comes along to change everything.
Seasonal content updates are a staple of the ARPG genre. A few times a year, players can start over completely from scratch with temporary world modifiers and new mechanics. Season 28 of Diablo 3, for example, lets players perform rituals to gain permanent buffs for the whole season's duration – and even a decade after its release, Diablo 3 and even the earlier titles still boast thriving communities.
Though we don't know for sure what the first Season of Diablo 4 will introduce (aside from a Battle Pass), it's safe to say that the initial 35-hour-long story experience is far from all the game has to offer. It's practically impossible to say how long it takes to 100% Diablo 4, but dedicated fans who expect to stick with the game for a few years can expect to spend hundreds – if not thousands – of hours in-game.
Diablo 4 is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S