Over the past few months, Blizzard has been hard at work trying to turn around the perception of Diablo 4, hoping to entice players with the game’s updates and maybe even persuade some to invest in the Vessel of Hatred expansion. But one of their strategies, whether intentional or not, feels a little sly.
It’s likely not done on purpose, but it still brings a smile.
Diablo 4 features an in-game cash shop that offers skin bundles, mounts, mount skins, and more, but at prices that many find a bit too steep. However, with these premium bundles often listed at $20, Blizzard is gradually defining the perceived value of its digital offerings. Therefore, when discounts roll in—or in a rare case, something’s marked as free—it feels like you’re scoring a fantastic deal.
This quirky event occurred for a Reddit user named Kilyrka. They were browsing the in-game store and noticed the Mother’s Memory Prestige set, tailored for the Spiritborn class. Usually, this high-tier bundle is priced at 2,600 Platinum, translating to roughly $22.
To Kilyrka’s surprise, the price appeared with a strikethrough and was replaced by a tantalizingly low -1. Now, this should have been a clear sign of a bug, prompting them to move on. However, curiosity struck and they speculated it might be Blizzard’s not-so-subtle nudge to encourage purchasing the Vessel of Hatred expansion, especially since only owners of VoH can access the Spiritborn class and, consequently, this particular set.
“I, somewhat foolishly, thought this was Blizzard’s clever tactic at work. Like, ‘Get Vessel of Hatred and we’ll add this skin for just 1 silver!'” Kilyrka shared, highlighting they later realized it was actually listed as ‘-1’ silver.
Acting on this impulse, they bought Vessel of Hatred. But instead of snagging a unique deal, they discovered the Mother’s Memory Prestige set reverted to its standard price, albeit with a 40% discount, similar to what everyone else sees in the store. This confirmed what many suspected—the -1 Platinum price was indeed a bug.
Kilyrka candidly admitted, “I felt pretty scammed, I can’t lie.”
Thankfully, the story wraps up on a positive note. They managed to cancel their expansion order and receive a refund. Blizzard’s support team has also been informed of the glitch. Unfortunately, this does mean Kilyrka misses out on both the Vessel of Hatred and the sought-after skin bundle.
