Blizzard's Senior Vice President Rod Fergusson has responded to a concerned Diablo 4 fan who noticed the unexpectedly low drop rates for Aberrant Cinders. Fergusson confirmed that this was not intentional. As players gear up for the start of Diablo 4 Season 1 on July 20, which introduces a new quest line centered around the new feature of Malignant Hearts, excitement is building. Acting as gem-like items, Malignant Hearts can be inserted into the three slot armor or weapons, providing bonuses similar to Legendary gear.
In anticipation of the upcoming season, Blizzard released a substantial update for Diablo 4 that significantly impacts various aspects of the game. This includes adjustments to core gameplay elements, class balancing, and tweaks to boss characters such as the formidable Butcher. Blizzard found that players were easily defeating monsters of higher levels, leading them to believe that the game balance had become a bit skewed. To address this, HP scaling in co-op has been increased to provide more of a challenge. Unfortunately, the update also unintentionally affected valuable resources like Aberrant Cinders.
After the release of Diablo 4's 1.1.0 update, players noticed that Aberrant Cinders were becoming increasingly difficult to obtain during end game Helltide events. These events involve battling tough enemies within a limited time frame, with a chance of acquiring these cinders to be used on Tortured Gift chests. However, concerns arose on Twitter about the significantly low drop rate following the recent patch. Rod Fergusson, the GM and SVP of the Diablo franchise at Blizzard, addressed these complaints by confirming that the issue was indeed a bug, which would be fixed in the first hot fix of Season 1.
While this confirmation brings relief to fans, it also led to questioning of the initial drop rates, especially when the recent patch notes revealed an increase in the price of the Tortured Gift of Mysteries chest from 175 to 250. As mentioned in the Patch Notes thread, the already slow drop rate for Aberrant Cinders made this price increase seem unwarranted. However, fans are now hopeful that once the mentioned hot fix is implemented, the grind for cinders will be more satisfying.
Regrettably, the recent patch has caused discontent among numerous players due to certain alterations implemented. Several Diablo 4 players have observed a decrease in the effectiveness of their gear stats, resulting in a weakened build. In response to the community's dissatisfaction, Blizzard has announced an upcoming Fireside Chat in a few days to provide clarification on the patch and address player concerns. Diablo 4 is currently accessible on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
