One Year Later, Diablo 4 Has Undergone a Complete 180

Highlights

• Diablo 4 faced challenges at launch but has vastly improved, thanks to fan feedback and updates.
• Season 4 and the Loot Reborn update revitalized gameplay, with increased player engagement and satisfaction being a result of Blizzard’s hard work.
• Seasons now match campaign quality, offering rewarding gameplay and a positive upward trajectory. One year after it debuted, Diablo 4 is in an excellent place.

Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo 4 had a lot of heavy lifting to do when it launched on June 6 of last year. Not only was it the Diablo series’ first foray into an always-online, live-service model, but consumer perceptions and fan goodwill toward Activision/Blizzard were arguably at an all-time low. After a mostly successful launch for Diablo 4 (despite the odd technical hiccup here and there), the game would release its first season just over a month later on July 20, and player perception of the title quickly shifted from cautious optimism to outright disdain almost overnight. But, on its one year anniversary, Diablo 4 might be in its best state ever.

To its credit, Blizzard Entertainment has continued to work tirelessly on addressing fan feedback regarding Diablo 4‘s loot, progression systems, endgame, and in-game monetization, resulting in the recent launch of Season 4 seeing thousands of lapsed players returning to Sanctuary. Steam review scores also reflect a course correction for Diablo 4, with the title having recently reached a “Mostly Positive” user score and maintaining a daily average of roughly 25-30k players (and that’s without even considering console player counts). Perhaps most importantly, Diablo 4 is inching ever closer to a satisfying endgame, and the changes implemented as part of Season 4 and the Loot Reborn update couldn’t have arrived at a more fitting time.

Season 4 and Loot Reborn Are a Perfect First Anniversary Gift for Diablo 4

The launch of
Diablo 4
‘s latest season, Season 4, was accompanied by the Loot Reborn update that makes significant overhauls to the loot grind and endgame buildcraft, with both launching simultaneously just ahead of
Diablo 4
‘s first anniversary on May 14, 2024.

In addition to the planned first anniversary events for Diablo 4, the title is also in the midst of a dramatic upswing in player engagement and satisfaction thanks to the changes implemented as part of Season 4 and the Loot Reborn update. Most of the new features implemented as part of the update tie in organically with the new content delivered to players as part of Season 4, with a lot of smaller quality-of-life improvements adding up to a cumulative feeling of Diablo 4‘s endgame and gear customization being the best it’s ever been.

Players now have greater agency over customizing and improving their favorite gear thanks to the new Masterworking and Tempering mechanics, as well as a better understanding of which Aspects are most beneficial for their class, loadout, and build. Being able to quickly reference Aspects and save particular rolls for use on future builds streamlines the endgame power curve in a way that Diablo 4 has needed since launch, and its arrival as part of Season 4 just weeks ahead of the game’s first anniversary is a case of “better late than never”.

Diablo 4’s Seasons Are Starting to Catch Up to Its Campaign

Diablo 4‘s Season 4 might see the game doing a complete turnaround and being the most fun it’s been since launch, but it was a bit of an arduous road to get there. One of the main problems with the title’s seasonal model was its seemingly throttled progression, with both Season 1 and Season 2 struggling to get the balance right in terms of XP gain and quality loot drops. The end result was that many of Diablo 4‘s seasonal activities were too much work for too little reward, paling in comparison to the game’s excellent campaign.

As of Season 4, though, Diablo 4 is finally seeing its seasonal model catch up to the quality of the campaign mode, giving players a real reason to jump right into crafting a seasonal character and diving into some Helltides. In the year since the launch of Diablo 4, the game has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but the continued persistence and dedication of its player base, as well as the willingness of Blizzard to address fan feedback and listen to those same players, gives hope that the title will only continue on its upward trajectory.