It seems like almost every AAA game these days launches with some type of microtransaction, and Diablo 4 is no different. From the minute the early access period began, players were able to purchase an assortment of cosmetics through the in-game store. While none of the items are tied to player power, their inclusion is still a bit of a worrying sign for the future of the franchise.
Diablo 4's microtransactions are all purely cosmetic-based, but one item feels like a blast from gaming's past. Players can purchase armor sets, weapon appearances, and some pretty expensive horse armor. The concept of horse armor feels ripped straight from the early days of microtransactions in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, and that essentially brings the entire industry full circle.
Diablo 4's Horse Armor Explained
Mounts play an important role in traversing Diablo 4's massive game world, and players will likely want to make their horse as fancy as possible. While players would think that they could obtain horse armor sets during their adventure, it seems like one of the few ways to earn mount cosmetics is via the in-game store. This store features an assortment of purchasable cosmetics that will refresh weekly, and the only way to access any of them is by spending real money.
The first set of Diablo 4 horse armor bundles cost around 800 platinum each. Players cannot purchase 800 platinum, though, and instead they have to buy 1,000 platinum for $9.99. There are also a couple of horse armor bundles that cost over 1,000 platinum, but the only way to get that much platinum is by spending $24.99 or buying two $9.99 platinum bundles.
This means that players will have to fork over more than $20 for a mount cosmetic, and if they want it all then they will have to spend over $50. That would make this week's entire set of horse armor cost only $20 less than Diablo 4 itself. New horse armor will also apparently release weekly, so this system will quickly get even more expensive.
Diablo 4's Horse Armor is a Blast from Gaming's Past
Diablo 4's horse armor may be a little extreme, but there is actually a precedent for it. One of the earliest major forms of microtransactions came in the form of purchasable horse armor for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. This was years before controversial loot boxes, mobile games, and in-game shops. For $2.50, players could download a special set of horse armor. The horse armor was arguably not that pretty or cool looking, but the only way to get it was through this tiny DLC pack. It was very controversial at the time, but now it seems like a common practice.
While Diablo 4's horse armor may be a lot more expensive than The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion's version, it feels like the gaming industry has come full circle. Microtransactions started with cheap cosmetics, expanded greatly by creating brand-new revenue streams, received major backlash for years, and have now returned to the concept of horse armor. Microtransactions have become such a major part of the AAA industry since the days of Oblivion that cosmetic armor does not seem as outrageous anymore, even if players are paying more for the same exact pieces of content.
Diablo 4's horse armor is just one of the many cosmetics that players can purchase during their fight against Lilith. The story has been fantastic so far and the gameplay loop is satisfying, but these microtransactions can take away from that experience a little for fans who had hoped to dabble in them. While they are not pay-to-win, charging $25 for a cosmetic does not seem wholly appropriate, and hopefully Blizzard reexamines its pricing model sometime soon.
Diablo 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.