After a couple controversial years, the Diablo franchise is back and better than ever thanks to Diablo 4. It seems to tick all the right boxes and is going a long way in rectifying mistakes from the franchise's past. It may only be in early access, but fans seem to have already fallen in love with it. Diablo 4 may be exactly what fans have been asking for, but its current microtransaction model leaves much to be desired.
Diablo 4 will be launching with a cash shop filled with unique cosmetics for players to purchase. These cosmetics can be pretty expensive, and there does not seem to be a way to earn any of them in-game. While these types of stores are nothing new for Blizzard games, some of the coolest cosmetics may be locked behind a paywall, and that could be detrimental to the game. However, this could all be avoided if Blizzard introduced World of Warcraft's Trading Post to the Diablo franchise.
WoW's Trading Post Explained
World of Warcraft has featured a cash shop alongside its monthly subscription fee for a little while now. Some of the game's coolest cosmetics were locked behind this additional paywall, but Blizzard is changing that approach in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight. After a couple of lackluster expansions, Blizzard is trying everything it can to win the players back, and one way it is doing that is by introducing the Trading Post feature.
World of Warcraft's Trading Post gives players a new way to earn cosmetics just by playing the game. Each month, the post offers a large catalog of cosmetics ranging from armor sets and weapons to mounts and pets. Some of these cosmetics are brand-new while others come straight from the cash shop. All players have to do is finish tasks in their Traveler's Log, and they will be rewarded with Trader's Tender which they can use to buy whatever they want. If they complete enough monthly tasks, they will earn an additional cosmetic for free.
This new Trading Post feature finally opens the store cosmetics to the masses, and also gives the game one of its first pieces of evergreen content in 18 years. While it is not a perfect feature, it has been a fantastic addition so far. World of Warcraft's cash shop still exists, but now those items will eventually be able to be earned in-game alongside a plethora of other cosmetics.
Diablo 4 Needs Its Own Trading Post
Diablo 4 also features a cash shop, but there does not seem to be a way to earn any of its wares in-game. It uses a currency known as Platinum, and the only way to earn Platinum is with a credit card number. This means that only those who are willing to spend an additional $10-$25 will be able to wear some of the game's coolest armor sets, but that could be changed with a Trading Post.
Diablo 4's Trading Post could work almost exactly like World of Warcraft's version. Players could earn some type of currency just by logging in every month, and then would have to complete tasks to earn even more throughout the month. These tasks would be tied to everyday activities, and the post would be filled with all sorts of cosmetics. These cosmetics could be brand-new ones, items from older Diablo games, or various cash shop cosmetics. Players could then earn an additional cosmetic after finishing their monthly Traveler's Log, and soon every player would have more cosmetics than they know what to do with.
World of Warcraft's Trading Post was one of the most exciting additions to the MMO, and the system could work across every Blizzard game. There is so much potential for a feature like this, and the cash shops can easily exist alongside it. While it does not seem like Blizzard currently has any plans to bring this feature over, Diablo 4 would benefit greatly from is inclusion.
Diablo 4 will be available on June 6 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.