Blizzard has released a cryptic teaser for Diablo IV‘s next season, and reactions could not be more varied. With great expectations set by the ominous statement, “The Sins of the Horadrim shall soon be revealed 📜,” a developer update is set to unfold on the 27th of June at 11 AM PT. Maybe some people set their expectations too high, while others are seeing another run-of-the-season grind.
So, what about the juicy stuff? Well, Blizzard wants it to remain juicy for now, with the promise to reveal new content for Diablo IV soon. But not many will be holding their breath while expecting anything groundbreaking, given the pedigree and history of seasonal updates of the game. In fact, another reply by Hellnolf just sums the bitterness: “Pretty sure we can work out that it’s just more borrowed power, don’t need a livestream for that.”
The answers there abruptly form an unpredictable mixture of different emotions ranging from frustration to sarcasm in between bursts of excitement. Some are excited, like Sebastian Misiek, while Alienietzsche is a bit skeptical: “We know what’s coming, it’s the same stuff that’s been coming every season.” That’s about as good a description of the bittersweet love-hate relationship to the game 90′ Gamer Veteran chimes in with: “I hate Diablo 4 😡 I love Diablo 4 😈.”
Maybe it’s the call for more new content. BrianDevilish kicks straight into new classes with more endgame depth and boss mechanic overhauls (“remove the dumb boss mechanics of them being immune to damage”). Agent Randy, meanwhile, provided a damning account of the loot system: “Hundreds of boss fights this season and only 1 item with 3GA, no 4’s, AND only 2 mythics.” Ouch.
Then goes the whole argument about whether seasons are even worth it anymore. Aaron Clover confessed, “I’ve been playing eternal for last 4 seasons because live service of this game is failing.” And dachiefsman dropped this fitting analogy: “If you paint a car a different color, it is still the same car.” Basically, players are tired of what feels like recycled content masquerading as fresh.
But hey, not everyone’s about to call it quits on Diablo IV just yet. Possibly KingOfAbyss666 puts the ball on the tongue in jest by considering a potential Sorcerer Hydra buff with the new staff: “If the staff makes us control Lacuni’s will and fight for us in a nice radius, I might reconsider the lameness.” Maybe there’s hope.
If Blizzard intends seriously to regain even a small portion of the already lost audience, then it’s going to be one huge undertaking. Clamp Cut Tie dropped some sad stats: “All my crew says last login over a month 😔.” SurlyEric meanwhile added, “I saw 2 people log in one time each. Crazy how hard this game fell off.” Yikes.
That said, the upcoming developer update is also possibly the redemption arc for Blizzard, assuming they have some good cards to play. Maybe they’ll drop something genuinely new on us; like that ridiculously long-delayed Paladin class? (Okay, so probably not, but one can always dream.) For now, it’s a waiting game until June 27 to see if season means yet another grind worth putting one’s back into or “same demons, different day.”
