Diablo 4’s Reliquary System Backfires, Highlighting Blizzard’s Monetization Missteps

Diablo 4’s Season 8 brought with Diablo IV Gold it a controversial new feature: the Reliquary system. Replacing the game's familiar battle pass format, this redesigned reward structure was initially promoted as a way to enhance player freedom. But instead of applauding the update, players have been voicing widespread frustration. The reason? The Reliquary system may appear player-friendly on the surface, but a deeper look reveals it's riddled with questionable design decisions and aggressive monetization.

In the previous battle pass system, players knew what they were getting-a clear, sequential track of unlockable content that could be earned over the course of the season. Season 8’s Reliquary system shakes up that model entirely by splitting rewards across multiple “Reliquaries,” each offering specific cosmetic sets or items. To access these, players must spend Favor Tokens, a new in-game currency earned through seasonal play. On paper, this looks like added flexibility. In practice, however, the system seems designed to nudge players toward spending real money.

One of the first red flags was raised by Reddit user Loika, whose breakdown of the system quickly gained traction across the Diablo community. Loika showcased how the game presents every reward as purchasable with either Favor Tokens or Platinum, Diablo 4’s premium currency. Unfortunately, the Platinum option isn’t tucked away-it’s the default, front-and-center selection. That means players can easily spend real-world money on cosmetics, even when they have enough in-game currency to unlock them for free.

Even more troubling is the fact that there’s no confirmation screen when spending Platinum. A single misclick can drain your balance, especially when the process is as seamless as clicking a “buy” button that looks like a “claim” option. The problem only worsens for console players. A Reddit user explained how, on controllers, the button assignments switch mid-process. For example, the left face button used to claim a reward suddenly becomes the button to cheap Diablo IV Items purchase it with Platinum after a second prompt. The potential for accidental purchases is extremely high, and many players believe this is an intentional design flaw meant to increase microtransaction revenue.