Diablo IV vs The Alters
Two dark RPG worlds, opposite costs: Diablo IV monetizes a 26-hour campaign around seasonal churn, while The Alters asks 19 hours and five post-launch patches.
Updated 7d ago
Skip the $49.99 Standard button — the $69.99 Age of Hatred Collection adds both expansions for twenty dollars more. The 2026 repairs are free either way.
11 bit studios at peak form — The Alters layers Frostpunk's moral weight onto a sci-fi base-builder where every employee is another version of you.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 26; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 26.
| Measure | Diablo IV | The Alters |
|---|---|---|
| Value The Alters wins on value | ||
| Price now | $49.99 Steam | $13.99 −60% · GamesPlanet US |
| All-time low | $12.49 | $13.60 |
| Cost / hour | $1.94/hr $49.99 · 26 h main story | $0.72/hr $13.99 · 19 h main story |
| Off its low | +300% low was Sep 2026 | +3% low was Aug 2026 |
| Main story | 26 h | 19 h |
| Health The Alters wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 65% 78k reviews | 90% 20k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 66% 3k votes · vs 65% lifetime | 82% 296 votes · vs 90% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 12,872 Aug 2026 · ↓ 70% MoM | 1,004 Sep 2026 · ↓ 32% MoM |
| Launch peak | — | 9% of Jun 2025 launch peak · as of Sep 2026 |
| All-time peak | 63,808 May 2026 · now at 20% | 11,227 Jun 2025 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | — | 4 weeks ago |
| Patch cadence | — | 5 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Gold |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Diablo IV
Three years of repairs finally arriving at once. Players who stayed through every season say the endgame is the best it has been.
Paying again. Skills behind an expansion paywall is the complaint that recurs most, followed by an endgame they still call grindy and unbalanced.
from our July 2026 verdict
The Alters
Narrative depth with emotionally weighty choices and real consequences is what keeps players returning.
from our May 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Diablo IV if
- Seasonal ARPG grinding is a habit you actively keep, not tolerate
- You want the Paladin, Warlock or Spiritborn and will pay for them
- You don't mind Blizzard's always-online Battle.net requirement
Pick The Alters if
- Frostpunk and This War of Mine's cost-of-every-choice design is your sweet spot
- You want a complete 19-hour story that ends without a seasonal reset
- Repetitive base-management loops and heavy monologue writing don't put you off
Bottom line
If you need a live seasonal ARPG and will pay for classes, take Diablo IV; otherwise The Alters is the sharper, self-contained, cheaper pick at 90% Steam positive and under $1 an hour.