Diablo 4 Season 9 is here, and it's the ideal time to convince your pals to play

Diablo 4 Season 9 has just gone live, and while a new season is often a good time for novices to jump in for the first time, there are now a few more excellent reasons to do so as well. However, those reasons won't last forever. If you've been loyally grinding since launch or you've flitted in and out of Diablo 4, hopeful that your pals would one day join you in exploring Sanctuary, you've now got a very compelling argument to convince them. As well as being 50% off on Steam right now, and part of Xbox and PC Game Pass, Diablo 4 is free to keep for Playstation players with PS Plus.

Diablo 4's ninth season, titled Sins of the Horadrim, doesn't exactly revolutionize the ARPG. Sure, there's new activities, new gear, and loads of balancing tweaks, but it lacks any major game-changing features or reworks. That's not to say it won't be another enjoyable season, and with one of the big bads from the base game's campaign returning to spice up your Nightmare Dungeon grind, there's a whiff of nostalgia as well. Now is a great opportunity to jump into Diablo 4 for the first time, but not necessarily because of Season 9.

Also kicking off today is the latest monthly offering of free games for PS Plus subscribers. If your mates are Playstation-bound, then they'll be able to claim Diablo 4 for free and keep it for as long as their PS Plus subscription continues. You only need to have the basic, entry-level Essential tier as well to benefit from the free monthly games, but be swift, because a new batch of freebies will rotate in on Monday, August 4. It's also worth reminding any Xbox players in your circle that Diablo 4 is one of the best Game Pass games around - in our view, at least. If they're already subbed to Game Pass Ultimate, tell them that it's sitting there waiting for them.

Finally, if you've got some stubborn PC pals that are resistant to giving Diablo 4 a go, they can give it a spin on PC Game Pass or pick it up on Steam for half price as part of the Steam Summer Sale. Until Thursday, July 10, Diablo 4 is just $24.99 / £20.99. Sure, it's not quite as exciting a prospect as getting the game for free, but it still lowers the financial barrier to entry considerably.

So, if you've been desperate to get your friends to play Diablo 4 with you (or you're reading this as a novice who's long been tempted to try it), go and grab it while it's cheap, part of your existing subscription service, or totally free. You'll get to play through the base game's campaign (which is excellent) plus the seasonal content that just arrived in Sins of the Horadrim. And yes, crossplay between PC and consoles is supported.

Any PC newbies should also check out the Diablo 4 system requirements before jumping in as well. However, if you're an experienced ARPG fan looking for a new challenge, be sure to check out our best games like Diablo list.

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