Unveiling the Supreme Masterplan for Diablo 4's Ultimate Endgame Adventure

Highlights

Diablo 4's launch hype faded due to issues like the Battle Pass and class balance controversies, which need to be addressed in the next season.

Blizzard should consider making Strongholds replayable in order to make seasonal content more relevant and to provide players with an engaging and rewarding endgame and leveling experience.

By adding scaling with modifiers and different bosses, replayable Strongholds would offer unique and increasingly challenging runs for players. Additionally, they would serve as a valuable tool for testing builds and utilizing clan features.

The excitement and positive reception for Diablo 4 upon its launch unfortunately began to fade as soon as its first season arrived. This was due to Blizzard's failure to address certain issues and their introduction of new problems, such as the Battle Pass and controversies surrounding class balance. There are multiple reasons why players have been complaining about the game, and the next season of Diablo 4 should be a significant improvement over the Season of the Malignant, which was a step back from the initial experience. Luckily, Blizzard already has a perfect plan for a new endgame activity that not only offers enjoyable replay value, but also provides worthwhile rewards in terms of loot and experience.

One of the major problems with the game is that Diablo 4's level scaling renders seasonal content irrelevant. For example, areas like Malignant Tunnels offer diminishing experience returns as the player character's level surpasses that of the monsters. With the current endgame content primarily consisting of Nightmare Dungeons and Helltides, players will likely require new methods to obtain experience and loot that are both engaging and rewarding. In this regard, Blizzard needs to look no further than one of the main campaign's mechanics used to unlock new towns - Strongholds.

Why Diablo 4 Should Make Strongholds Replayable

In Diablo 4, players will encounter settlements in the world of Sanctuary that have been overtaken by demonic forces. These locations, known as Strongholds, pose a significant challenge as the enemies within are much higher in level than the player character. Despite this difficulty, Strongholds offer abundant opportunities for leveling up, with their dense enemy populations frequently resulting in the discovery of powerful Legendary items.

Once players have completed a Stronghold, it becomes a thriving settlement, often presenting new quests and unlocking previously inaccessible areas such as Dungeons. Although Strongholds may only be played once, Blizzard could enhance the experience by allowing them to be replayed. Implementing this feature would enable players to select a Stronghold on the map and engage in exciting activities, potentially even incorporating matchmaking for added enjoyment. Moreover, this replayable aspect could be beneficial for players at all stages of the game, serving as an alternative means of leveling up or enhancing their character's abilities.

Replayable Strongholds in Diablo 4 can be enhanced in the endgame by incorporating modifiers and diverse bosses, similar to the Nightmare Dungeons. This would ensure each run is both unique and increasingly challenging as players progress. Additionally, having solo and group versions of the Strongholds would serve as a valuable tool to test player builds before attempting Nightmare Dungeons. Although it is uncertain if matchmaking and social features will be included in the future, employing them could effectively utilize clans.

However, it is important that Strongholds are not limited to seasonal activities in Diablo 4, but rather an integral part of the base game catered to all players, including those in the Eternal Realm. To achieve this, introducing a rotational system where different Strongholds are highlighted weekly or even daily would keep the experience refreshing and tempting. Moreover, the bosses and modifiers within the Strongholds could also change during rotations, providing players with ongoing incentives to engage at any level.

Diablo 4 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.