Lilith graces Sanctuary once again this September with the Mother’s Blessing Weekend, bringing generous XP and Gold bonuses for Diablo 4 players.
In response to player feedback on the scarcity of live-service content in Diablo 4, Blizzard Entertainment aims make it up to players with 25% increase in both Gold and XP gains. This event is set to take place from Friday, September 1 at 10:00 AM until Tuesday, September 5 at 10:00 AM PDT.
During this event, players across all World Tiers, including the Seasonal and Eternal Realms, will benefit from the boosted Gold and XP rates. To find this benefit in-game, keep an eye out for a new icon positioned next to your potion count, which signifies the enhanced rate of earning Gold and XP.
This news arrives shortly after the announcement of Diablo 4 Season 2: Season of Blood at Gamescom: Opening Night Live. Scheduled to commence on October 17, Season 2 will introduce captivating content, including a Vampire Hunter companion and vampiric powers.
As the anticipation for Season 2 builds, the Mother’s Blessing Weekend provides an opportunity for players to amass wealth and experience at an accelerated pace. Stay tuned for more updates on Diablo 4 events and developments that may enrich your gameplay.
Diablo IV’s release moves ever closer like the summoning of Lilith to Sanctuary. The game has been in the news for a while now with previews and announcements happening regularly. However, this past week was the early access beta for the game.
Here’s how the beta left us after a 10 hour playthrough.
The World of Sanctuary Like You’ve Never Seen Before
“Hello, my friend, stay a while and listen” those are some of the most nostalgic words for any veteran Diablo player. The words that ring every time you come to Tristram to identify items and progress the story as you listen to the exposition from Deckard Cain. But that’s all dead and gone now, the world of Sanctuary in Diablo IV is larger, more dynamic and more steeped in the corruption of Prime Evils than ever before. In a lot of ways, it feels like a natural progression for the series.
Even with just the first act in the Early Access Beta, there was so much to do that even 12 hours of gameplay didn’t feel like enough. While it was just a fraction of the world map, the dynamically generated events brought side quests to the table organically and with little repetition. Unlike Diablo III and Immortal, there is a sense of progress in finishing map quests although it didn’t further the story much.
Blizzard has also found a unique balance when it comes to the massively multiplayer aspect of Diablo IV. While you adventure alone, you aren’t bombarded continuously by players running around the map. Instead, players appear and disappear as you play. They are free to join a map quest or event and provide assistance but they don’t disrupt your gameplay. You see players in towns and strongholds as well, but that’s about it. If you’re like me and miss the feel of the original Diablo game, Diablo IV has brought that feeling back and then some.
More Organic Interactions with More Fleshed-Out NPCs
Speaking of towns, one thing that has made a big difference is the NPCs. The world feels a lot more fleshed out thanks to the NPCs that populate it. They aren’t just one-dimensional sprites, interacting with them is fun, sometimes enraging and for key NPCs – eye-opening.
We’ve also go multiple artisan NPCs that populate the tons. These NPCs don’t only have quest-related dialogues when applicable, they have unique offerings that refresh at preset time intervals. There’s a dynamism to the interactions with them thanks to this.
One Character Multiple Builds
In my short 10-hour gameplay during the early access beta, my rogue went through about 4 different character builds. I found myself constantly tweaking my skills to complement the equipment loadout my character was using. Peaking at level 16, I was a few levels short of completing a full build of my liking.
However, unlike Diablo 3, the skills, both passive and active, can be upgraded and reset to maximise the damage your character can do. In addition, you also unlock specializations later on in the game. These will also change your characters’ play style and load out as the game progresses.
Open World Done Right for the Prime Evils
The doors to Sanctuary are literally flung open in Diablo IV. The world has been fleshed out immensely. However, the one thing that stood out during our time with the beta was how the team at Blizzard incorporated the open-world aspect into the game. Unlike Diablo II and Diablo III, waypoints and checkpoints in the game are not linear. You will undoubtedly be running around the massive maps of the various regions of Sanctuary and stumbling on enemies that punch well above your level. This happened more than once in my playthrough but it was a welcomed surprise which also led to hilarious running away and cussing – only adding more spice to the gameplay.
The open world is peppered with dynamic map events including cursed chests and even side quests and even dynamic dungeons. Blizzard’s implementation of the cursed chest side quest was one that kept me on the edge of my seat. Literally opening a random chest can get you surrounded and battered by monsters in an instant. It’s invigorating to have these surprises jump out at you willy-nilly.
Diablo IV Pandemonium is All But Expected Come June
After this open beta, it’s hard not to pull the trigger on pre-ordering Diablo IV. Blizzard has truly upped the ante with Diablo IV’s gameplay. While we only got a taste of the story, it’s compelling enough to keep us on the edge of our seats until June. In fact, I want my Diablo IV fix NOW! Give me the keys to Sanctuary!!
Source: Blizzard Entertainment
We’re optimistic that Diablo IV could be in the running for game of the year if it has all its pieces in place. It’s a given that Blizzard’s team has a compelling story with the daughter of a Prime Evil – Lilith – being the centre of the conflict in Sanctuary this time round. We’ve also got loose ends from Diablo II being picked up in the first act.
The doors to Sanctuary are about to open with the looming launch of Diablo IV. But, a select few will have the privilege to enter before anyone else during the Open Beta which will be happening from March 24 until March 26. Early Access happens the weekend before from March 17 to March 19.
Source: Blizzard
The Early Access and the Open Beta allow players to play through the prologue and first act of the game with a level cap of Level 25. In addition, players who complete the available content before the end of the early access and open beta are able to continue slaying the hordes of hell even after completing the available content. However, they will not be able to progress beyond the level cap. Given the open-world take on the gothic dungeon crawler, this should give players a better feel for what’s coming when the game launches on 6 June.
That said, it should be noted that the experiences during this time will be, as the name suggests, in beta. Players who do take part in the Early Access and Open Beta will be actively involved in the development of the game and will encounter bugs and glitches which will help the team at Blizzard deliver a better end product.
To be part of the early access beta, you will need to redeem your “Beta Early Access” code that you registered for earlier. This can be done at the Diablo IV beta website. If you’ve pre-purchased Diablo IV, you’ll automatically be able to access the early access and open beta. The open beta and early access will be happening across PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Those using consoles for the beta will be given a redeemable code for a beta copy of the game upon registration and redemption of the “Beta Early Access” code. Keep in mind, each code can only be redeemed for one platform.
Diablo Immortal hasn’t been receiving the best post-launch coverage in the media. This comes as players have begun playing beyond the game’s story and into its open-world gameplay. Like Diablo III, the game brings a whole lot of additional content after its story including competitive modes, treasure hunting and more. However, it seems like Activision Blizzard has chosen to use gamers’ enthusiasm for the franchise as a means to rake in the money through microtransactions.
Source: Activision Blizzard
It’s not the first time that Blizzard has tried to take on microtransactions. In fact, the company had one of the biggest faux pas with their failed auction house in Diablo III. But that isn’t holding them back from giving it another go. This time, their attempt has them being the center of a renewed conversation about microtransactions and pay-to-win. In fact, even before it was available, it has already run afoul of gambling legislation in the Netherlands and Belgium. The list of countries in that list might grow as the conversation was already started when EA made a similar attempt a few years ago.
The Diablo Immortal Controversy – Diablo says “Gacha”
While there is nothing new about games and microtransactions, Activision Blizzard’s take on it in their first mobile Diablo game, Diablo Immortal, has fans saying that the company is Diablo incarnate. From reviews and forums, fans are claiming that these microtransactions have severely broken the gameplay in the game; at times making it unplayable particularly when it comes to PvP (Player v. Player)
Source: Activision Blizzard
So, like all Diablo games, Diablo Immortal does have a story. Apparently, the story stays true to Diablo’s roots. It builds on the story between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III. However, as players progress beyond the current story, gameplay takes a severe turn for the worst.
Instakill by Paying
Like Diablo III, players are able to take on other players to test their character build and game prowess in PvP battle. However, Blizzard has made this portion of the game severely unbalanced as it focuses on a gacha mechanic. While players don’t pay for loot or equipment, they do pay for “gems”. These gems then give them boosts to their equipment. It’s these boosts that make the game so broken. In some online game plays, seasoned Diablo players – who have not paid for these gems – are instakilled when meeting players who are paying. The severe imbalance in the mechanic has made the game unplayable for players who aren’t paying.
Pay Exorbitantly and be Rewarded
It’s not that players are against developers monetizing their work. It’s Blizzard’s implementation of the mechanic in Diablo Immortal. In Diablo Immortal, there are five gems which players can pay to roll. For each gem, players can roll a version of it with up to five stars. Free to play players can do this by completing an Elder Rift. Each run of an Elder Rift will reward players with a Legendary gem. However, if you are less willing to wait you can “enhance” these rifts with a payment of up to USD$25 (MYR110.33).
The drop rates of higher rated Legendary gems are estimated at about 1%. That said, the rate at which players are actually seeing higher tier gems are appalling. This is because players can actually pay good money to roll and re-roll gems with a slightly higher chance to get them. At the time of writing, there have been multiple estimates that place the cost of specc’ing out a single character at USD$100,000 (MYR441,303.30). This estimate excludes the cost of rolling and getting 5-star gems for each “awakened” legendary gem. Each awakened gem has five smaller gems for you to roll as well.
Still Raking in the Moolah
As much as the community has been up in arms, it doesn’t seem to have affected Activision Blizzard’s bottomline. The company has reported earned a whopping USD$24 million in the two weeks since its launch with over 5 million downloads of the game itself. It’s worth noting that the initial launch of the game has been delayed in the Asia Pacific region, including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It will only be making its debut on July 8. So, there may be more whales waiting to jump on the Diablo Immortal gacha machine. However, the initial success of the microtransaction laden game, may have bigger implications moving forward.
Diablo IV Could Receive the Brunt of the Retaliation
The severe imbalance of game play and Activision Blizzard’s attempt to cash-grab on a free-to-play version hasn’t affected the company’s bottom-line. However, it could spell an uphill battle for the upcoming Diablo IV. While the game is one of the more anticipated titles in the near future, the controversy surrounding Diablo Immortal has all but eclipsed the release date announcement at the Bethesda-XBox showcase. If you missed it, Diablo IV is set to release sometime in 2023.
Source: Activision Blizzard
With the conversation surrounding the franchise being about the broken gacha mechanic of Diablo Immoral Immortal, excitement about Lilith and the upcoming game has been damped. Instead, long time players and fans are more concerned about the microtransactions that will plague the new game. Developers behind the upcoming title has tried to distance the two games in a Twitter reply after its release reveal.
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D4 is coming out as a full price game built strictly for PC/console audiences. The game is huge & there will be tons of content after launch for all players. Paid content is built around optional cosmetic items & eventually full expansions. We will be sharing more info soon!
The fact of the matter is, even with a small group of players airing their woes, Diablo IV has more to lose. With the immense coverage the issue has gotten on news sites, YouTube and Twitch, the issue is becoming top of mind when it comes to Diablo as a whole. This could result in less people purchasing the game at launch or at all. Diablo, as a franchise, is running the risk of not getting new players and losing casual ones.
Losing Momentum Early
Why is this bad? Well, casual players usually play the game to experience the story-telling that the franchise has become so popular for. They also play a part in driving the interest in the post game game-play. Hardcore fans will buy the game regardless of the press. However, they are a small fraction of the bigger picture. Activision Blizzard may cause casual players to be completely alienated by their cash grabbing in Diablo Immortal.
Source: Activision Blizzard
As die-hard fans will undoubtedly get the game at launch, the game is depending on casual gamers to thrive after the initial boom. Casual fans are the ones that will buy the game months after its launch as the hype dies down. This continued sales is what Activision Blizzard has to lose. However, if they continue to bank of gacha mechanics and microtransactions driving their revenue, they will be dealing with another failure on their hands. Just like Star Wars: Battlefront II, players – even hardcore ones – will not continue to back a company that doesn’t respect them. As a Diablo fan, this one hopes that they realise before it’s too late.
Diablo Immortal in Asia – An Opportunity to Make Good
It’s not too late for Activision Blizzard. With their upcoming launch of Diablo Immortal in Asia, they have a golden opportunity to make things right. While they claim that the delay to July 8 was to commission resources for better game-play, we can’t but wonder whether they expected the initial backlash from “western” audiences.
That aside, the company does have the chance to alter their implementation of the gacha mechanic universally to ensure the longevity of Diablo Immortal and the franchise itself. Unlike Genshin Impact, it doesn’t have that “kawaii” factor to draw in new players as it continues to fumble. Of course, this may hurt early adopters, but if Diablo is worth anything to them, they should look to the future of the franchise.
They will also need to shift the conversation to Diablo IV sooner rather than later. Making things right will help with doing that. With the initial burst of outrage or praise, player sentiment will undoubted swing in the Diablo IV’s favour. In fact, it could shift the tone for the company altogether. Something it desperately needs overall.
