Diablo 4: Embracing the Evolution of PC Gaming Beyond Expectations

Highlights

Diablo 4's seasonal model and lack of necessary changes have hindered its success, especially with the nerfing of classes.

In order to regain the trust of the community, it is imperative for Blizzard to be transparent about their plans for the game, despite facing challenges from self-proclaimed fans. The sudden release of Diablo 4 on Steam without prior communication has deeply upset players who have already purchased the game on Battle.net, potentially leading to more controversy.

Diablo 4's journey has taken a turn for the worse, highlighting the issues commonly associated with live-service games and their post-launch content. Despite a strong initial launch, the game's seasonal model, particularly Season of the Malignant, failed to win back players. Moreover, Blizzard neglected to make crucial improvements to the game and further exacerbated the problem by severely weakening most classes. Season 2 shows some promise, but Diablo 4 still faces significant challenges, especially as it follows an irritating trend seen in PC titles, but takes it to a new extreme.

To ensure Diablo 4 remains relevant in the long run, Blizzard must achieve a resounding success with Season of Blood, and transparency is an essential step in the right direction. Although developers face difficulties in being open about their plans due to the threats made by self-proclaimed fans, openly discussing game plans is crucial for rebuilding the community's trust. However, unexpected news emerges as Diablo 4 is now being released on another platform, requiring players to purchase the game once again.

Why Diablo 4 Launching on Steam Can be a Controversial Choice

When Diablo 4 was initially released, it was expected to be available on PC through the Battle.net launcher, which is the standard platform for all Blizzard games. While some players find Battle.net to be an inconvenience, as it adds an extra step to their gaming experience, others appreciate having all their games in one central location, like Steam or Epic Games. In a similar fashion, Baldur's Gate 3 also had its own launcher on PC, which received mixed feedback despite its successful launch. Diablo 4, on the other hand, not only utilizes the Battle.net launcher but will also be available on Steam starting October 17 alongside its Season of Blood release. It is not uncommon for games to initially launch on one platform and then expand to others later, requiring players to repurchase the game. However, this information is typically communicated in advance.

Blizzard failed to mention any plans of releasing Diablo 4 on Steam at a later date, leaving many players feeling blindsided. This is especially frustrating for those who purchased the game on Battle.net, as they now have to pay again to play it on Steam. Considering the game's history of disappointing decisions and lack of improvements, Diablo 4 should have made extra efforts to ensure its fans were satisfied before the release of its next installment.

With Diablo 4's Season 2 needing a backup plan, similar to what they did with Season of the Malignant, a Steam launch should have been considered from the beginning, with players being informed about it, or the launch should have been delayed. While this move may bring in more players for the upcoming release, it also risks creating another controversy if Season of Blood fails to meet expectations. Furthermore, Diablo 4 now requires its own launcher as well as Steam, resulting in additional costs for those who already own the game, and it still relies on Battle.net to function, meaning players need two separate launchers for double the price.

Diablo 4 is available now for the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.