Diablo IV vs Palworld
Diablo IV is a live-service dungeon crawler; Palworld is an open-world creature survival game. Pick your grind: seasonal ARPG or base-building with guns.
Updated 6d 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.
Holds up in solo or co-op despite the 99% playerbase crash from 2M peak to 25k — Pokémon-with-guns hook earns its $30.
By the numbers
Prices checked Aug 7; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Aug 7.
| Measure | Diablo IV | Palworld |
|---|---|---|
| Value Palworld wins on value | ||
| Price now | $49.99 Blizzard | $20.99 −30% · GamesPlanet US |
| All-time low | $22.49 | $20.99 |
| Cost / hour | $1.94/hr $49.99 · 26 h main story | $0.50/hr $20.99 · 42 h main story |
| Off its low | +122% low was Aug 2025 | At its low low was Jun 2026 |
| Main story | 26 h | 42 h |
| Health Palworld wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 65% 75k reviews | 94% 470k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 68% 927 votes · vs 65% lifetime | 95% 38k votes · vs 94% lifetime |
| Peak players | 42,469 Jul 2026 · ↑ 66% MoM | 956,613 Jul 2026 · ↑ 1771% MoM |
| Launch peak | — | 46% of Jan 2024 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 |
| All-time peak | 63,808 May 2026 · now at 67% | 2,101,535 Jan 2024 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | — | 9 days ago |
| Patch cadence | — | 5 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Platinum |
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
Palworld
Pal capture and base building loop is the engaging core that drives hundreds of hours of gameplay.
from our May 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Diablo IV if
- You enjoy seasonal ARPGs and don't mind resets each season
- You want a polished, Blizzard-supported loot game
- You're okay with required internet and Battle.net
Pick Palworld if
- You love Pokémon-style collecting plus survival crafting
- You play with a group and want shared base progression
- You're fine with Early Access bugs and a lower price
Bottom line
Choose Diablo IV for polished seasonal loot grinding; choose Palworld for creative survival and creature collection. If you dislike seasonal resets, Palworld is the better pick.