Diablo IV is (apparently) Blizzard's fastest-selling game ever

Diablo IV just saw full release, and across PC and consoles, it's seemingly the fastest-selling game in Blizzard Entertainment history.

That's according to Blizzard itself, which didn't offer any hard sales numbers to back up its claim. Even so, it's not hard to believe, given that the game started early access on June 1, the weekend before it came out. 

Rod Fergusson, the franchise's general manager, called this "a moment years in the making for the Diablo IV team."

For comparison, Overwatch 2 reached 25 million players in a week and a half back when it launched in October 2022. Blizzard's mobile game Diablo Immortal, which also released last year, hit 20 million in about two months. What helps Diablo IV's vague case is that its final beta in March was the largest in franchise history at 62 million players. 

Much like with Street Fighter 6's recent 1 million player milestone in its first few days of release, Diablo IV's success is noteworthy. Both games have to contend with Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and future June releases such as Final Fantasy XVI (June 22) and Amnesia: The Bunker (today, June 6). 

While no sales numbers were given, Blizzard was happy to reveal that Diablo IV playtime has totaled 93 million hours. That apparently translates to over 10,000 years, or "the equivalent playing 24 hours a day since the beginning of human civilization."

Why Diablo IV's success is so important to Blizzard right now

Releases from Blizzard are always a big deal, but Diablo IV arguably has more baggage attached (perhaps even over Overwatch 2). This is the first mainline entry for the action-RPG series in over a decade (or a little less if you count Diablo III's 2014 expansion, Reaper of Souls). 

Ahead of release, Diablo IV was reported to have a fairly troubled development. Key staff left after allegations of sexual misconduct across Activision Blizzard overall, and the game was said to be mismanaged, and staff turnover was described as "massive." 

Last year, one ex-employee said delaying the game out of June wouldn't be possible, and crunch would be the only way to get the game in shape.

Ultimately, developers on Diablo IV were uncertain how the game would be received. At the very least, the reception from critics and audiences is one less thing to worry about.