Blizzard has sent out a message announcing that the Gift of the Tree event in Diablo 4, which gives more Whisper Caches, is about to end. The gamers’ reaction? It was just like a roller coaster ride, so to speak.
Basically, this event gives players a limited time to indulge themselves. The official Diablo Twitter account has posted a rather cryptic message, “The Gift of the Tree is fleeting, Wanderer. Earn bonus Whisper Caches while the Tree still allows it.” It has been two things instantly – first, the event has been limited in time, and second, the players got a little lift. But it seems that it has also ignited the discussion regarding the game’s current condition.
The abundance of different opinions started pouring in right after the announcement. A section of the players has been vociferously demanding a prolongation of the event. User ‘nearlyfleek’ has quite unambiguously stated, “Just extend it,” which is a pretty clear-cut demand. Another user ‘SavageWraith’ though chose to narrate a rather heartbreaking story of his situation; he said he couldn’t catch the beginning of the event because he was busy with his dog sick with lymphoma. Then he pleaded, “any chance you guys could extend it for a tired Wanderer?” That one is tough, man. It is a reminder that life does come first and sometimes it even stops you from jumping into the game.
In contrast, the gamers who paint a gloomy picture are more numerous. They consider the event reminder as a good occasion to voice their complaints. ‘OcarinaOfTimeGoat’ could not have been more straightforward when he expressed, “No-one’s still playing your game cause there’s 0 endgame everyone plays for 2 weeks and quits until the next season period.” That is a fact, and it hurts, but it is also coming from a common criticism that has been growing for some time. Players eventually get engaged in the new content, finish the quests, and… just wait for the next season.
The event has even led to discussions about class balance. What a drama! The user with the handle ‘commensenseusa’ was extremely critical of the ‘Barbarian’ class saying, “the barb was the hottest pick of the season for 1-3 and you made its power so weak; it was a bad move, I’m not even logging on any more.” Other users ‘knightsofNi’ and ‘greenapple’ were discussing whether players are forced to use the so-called “meta builds” or not and their disagreement soon turned into a heated debate.
Of course, users have once more brought up their server issues. ‘Azazel0674’ was one of those complaining about constant disconnections while teleporting which is just part of the core game experience. He also said he was reinstalling the game without the high-resolution pack to see if that would help which is a rather desperate measure. ‘SonOfTristram’ simply stated, “Would be more fun if your servers worked properly.” It is a recurring problem that players of the game have to deal with, endure playing, and it is extremely annoying when it happens just in the middle of an intense run.
A small number of gamers even hinted at switching to other games. ‘ripchester31’ just commented, “Nah imma stick to poe2,” which is a direct reference to Path of Exile 2, a tough competitor of Diablo. Also, ‘KorruptedBoss’ asked the game makers, “When will you gift the community any effort in making meaningful changes to the game?” The question actually captures the mood of the players in part who are still hoping for something bigger, something more substantial than just a temporary cache bonus.
However, it is pretty interesting that even though there was a lot of negative feedback, there were still some players who were excited about the event. ‘MIDNIIITE’ was positive and said, “Hope you guys bring it back in November, as I’ll probably be looking to level another character then.” So, it turns out that not everyone is really anti the game. In fact, some are still planning their next moves and thinking ahead to new content.
This whole discussion is an indication of the current situation of Diablo 4. It shows a developer that is trying to attract players by offering a fun, limited-time event while at the same time a large part of the community is using this event to bring up their grievances regarding endgame progression, class balancing, server stability, and the overall content cycle.
The Whispering Tree event is but the surface of the iceberg. It is an extra, a small gift, but to many it simply does not suffice to eliminate the deeper issues they think the game is still facing. Whether Blizzard is indeed hearing this particular whispering among the players is still uncertain, but what they are saying is definitely loud and clear even if it is not always coherent. The event may have come to an end quickly, but the debates over the game’s direction are of a more lasting nature.
