• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Diablo 4 Will Receive New Story Content Every 3 Months

Draugoth

Gold Member
maxresdefault.jpg

Diablo IV is set to receive "meaty" quarterly updates every three months: updates that will introduce new storylines, according to Game Informer.

In Game Informer's latest cover story, Diablo IV associate game director Joe Piepiora said that while he hesitates to use the word "expansion," the game's post-launch quarterly updates will consist of additional story content that will be tied into the new mechanics and features of each update. Updates will additionally be accompanied by a new seasonal battle pass, which will come in both free and premium forms. Blizzard has previously confirmed that the game's first season will not go live with Diablo IV and will come sometime later.

Blizzard recently offered more information on what exactly Diablo IV's endgame will look like in the form of a developer video. Nightmare dungeons, alongside areas out in the open world called Helltides, will make up the bulk of the endgame experience. Nightmare dungeons serve as harder, remixed versions of the more than 100 dungeons present in Diablo IV at launch, with various affixes further spicing up the replayability of each dungeon.

In the cover story, Blizzard revealed two additional affixes players will have to overcome when conquering Diablo IV's endgame Nightmare dungeons. One such affix will see an invincible pillar of lightning constantly chase players throughout the dungeon, while another will add a shade that follows players and, if touched, will obscure their vision and summon additional enemies.

Blizzard also shared a few new details about Helltides with Game Informer, clarifying that multiple areas in the world can be affected by Helltides at once and persist for a limited time. Deadlier enemies will spawn within a Helltide's borders, including remixed versions of various bosses from throughout the game.
 
If they're going to have a battlepass, it only makes sense that they'd have content to keep people playing.
 
Last edited:

Schmendrick

Member
last I checked Blizzard had ginormous trouble to get new employees thanks to certain...incidents within AB, with some 200+ positions, including key positions vacant.
I don`t know if that has changed in the meantime, but even fully staffed 3 month sprints are very..veeeery hard to realize for anything that actually deserves the description "meaty".
 
Last edited:

Teletraan1

Banned
I liked the old model of releasing a full game, maybe doing an expansion if it sells well. Now they want to sell you a full priced game with content they withheld because they mapped it out for post release and bleed you to death with small purchases that never really give you the full experience of an expansion. You are getting less and paying more. The only thing meaty will be the cope of people defending this shit practice. They only get away with this is because consooomers see diablo and cream their pants.
 

Freeman76

Member
Awesome. I just hope they dont do a wow and make all your gear redundant all the time. Its fun at first having to re-gear but over time it makes rare stuff seem less worthwhile because you know it will be useless soon.
 
I knew blizzard were incapable of pulling d4 off without fucking it up. The only thing that saved d3 was reaper of souls and now they are just gonna drip feed additional content to keep people on the paid dopamine treadmill instead of releasing any meaningful expansions.

Blizz is an evil, zombie husk of what they once were and any good will or enthusiasm directed at them is Ill advised, IMHO.
 
Last edited:

Von

Member
Initial reveal of Diablo IV had me slightly hyped, but over the last year I’ve lost that hype, and shit like this just keeps pushing me further an further away.
 

ssringo

Member
That's fine and all. Diablo is a game I play for a while, stop and come back to again and again.

But it's not for the story. Go ahead and try. Maybe I'll care this time but I'm not holding my breath.

I also have my doubts that they'll stick with that timeline for very long. And if they do it won't be quality updates.
 

R6Rider

Gold Member
Nobody should be surprised by this (being GaaS. It's fucking Activision-Blizzard.
 
Last edited:

splattered

Member
I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt... Just like I did with battlefield 2042 and anthem and outsiders and several others haha
 

MadPanda

Banned
last I checked Blizzard had ginormous trouble to get new employees thanks to certain...incidents within AB, with some 200+ positions, including key positions vacant.
I don`t know if that has changed in the meantime, but even fully staffed 3 month sprints are very..veeeery hard to realize for anything that actually deserves the description "meaty".
Not everyone works on the same game. Blizzard currently has World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch 2, Hearthstone and that unannounced survival game so those 200+ open positions are spread across five franchises.

According to Wikipedia Blizzard had 4700 employee 10 years ago, so that leaves a hefty amount for each franchise.
 

LordOfChaos

Member
All I've been conditioned to fear is that it will never have satisfying story conclusions as it has to keep you hooked for the next thing
 
Will it be paid?
Story content is usually paid.

And if it's free, that would be very cool. I will consider supporting it with battlepass purchase.
 

Spyxos

Member
last I checked Blizzard had ginormous trouble to get new employees thanks to certain...incidents within AB, with some 200+ positions, including key positions vacant.
I don`t know if that has changed in the meantime, but even fully staffed 3 month sprints are very..veeeery hard to realize for anything that actually deserves the description "meaty".
Probably cut content, which is then released later drop by drop.
 
Which begs the question. Is the base game missing content so they can nickel and dime you all the way. I hope they don't do the gaas type thing of making items feel puny outside of a few numbers that don't feel much different.
Well except for the ones you pay real money for ala microtransaction. When you got a new weapon in a classic arpg you could tell the difference.

Remember this is the same company that tried in game auction house for real money. I wouldn't put it past them to do some scummy greedy bs. Back then the backlash was fierce and got them to backpedal. We didn't have "influencers" and company shills like today though. People who promote the game on youtube or twitch to make a few bucks. Or appologists who will never critize the companies decisions. We shall see how it pans out.

Also 3 months is not enough time to make substantial content, let alone bug fix and test said content. Wish they would stick to traditional expansions
 
You know the best thing about saying stuff? You are not beholden to any of the stuff you say. How many road maps have been accurate? How many promises of content have fallen flat?

New seasons, story content and mechanics every 3 months? I'll believe it when I see it. There is absolutely zero consequence for them failing to live up to this plan. Saying these things incentivises players to get the game day one and feel secure that the game will be constantly updated and they will for sure get their money's worth. If these plans change, get delayed, or get scrapped entirely, you will get no refund, no sincere apology, nothing. If the "always online" game is completely scuffed for the first week or 2 of launch (lets be honest, there is a VERY real chance that will be the case) and that pushes back plans for seasons/story content, will we get a money back, free battle pass for everyone, anything? Nah, just a big old fuck you.
 

Mr Hyde

Member
Grabbing this in about 3 years, when it's ported over to Switch 2 with all the story and end game content accessible right out of the gate.
 

Minsc

Gold Member
I mean the game literally is sold with the battle pass edition costing $20-30 more, and you'll be buying that battle pass every couple months over and over, so I guess at least they're going to be putting in new areas and story for the money.
 

iQuasarLV

Member
I liked the old model of releasing a full game, maybe doing an expansion if it sells well. Now they want to sell you a full priced game with content they withheld because they mapped it out for post release and bleed you to death with small purchases that never really give you the full experience of an expansion. You are getting less and paying more. The only thing meaty will be the cope of people defending this shit practice. They only get away with this is because consooomers see diablo and cream their pants.
Aftter the open beta helping four seperate friends play through the Act-I story line, and leveling four characters to 25; I will say the launch of the game is going to be bare bones as shit. That was only 72 hours, yet they think they are going to have enough heft to justify charging battle pass / cash shop / extra prices to keep people paying?

With the loss of the Chinese market and lost contract with Net Ease I am loathe to say this game is not long before they implement Immortal type predatory practices to make up for lost revenue.
 

iQuasarLV

Member
You know the best thing about saying stuff? You are not beholden to any of the stuff you say. How many road maps have been accurate? How many promises of content have fallen flat?

New seasons, story content and mechanics every 3 months? I'll believe it when I see it. There is absolutely zero consequence for them failing to live up to this plan. Saying these things incentivises players to get the game day one and feel secure that the game will be constantly updated and they will for sure get their money's worth. If these plans change, get delayed, or get scrapped entirely, you will get no refund, no sincere apology, nothing. If the "always online" game is completely scuffed for the first week or 2 of launch (lets be honest, there is a VERY real chance that will be the case) and that pushes back plans for seasons/story content, will we get a money back, free battle pass for everyone, anything? Nah, just a big old fuck you.
Remember Hero classes in 2004 for World of Warcraft

Remember StarCraft II E-sports

Remember Diablo III attempts to monetize itemization

Remember all the Overwatch promises

Remember, "Do you guys not have phones?"

Those are all the ones I can recall from the top of my head. Blizzard is a company built on false promises and lies for FOMO day-one sales. Yet people still hold out hope that it is another year 2000 Diablo 2 launch nostalgia copium moment.
 

treemk

Banned
Remember Hero classes in 2004 for World of Warcraft

Remember StarCraft II E-sports

Remember Diablo III attempts to monetize itemization

Remember all the Overwatch promises

Remember, "Do you guys not have phones?"

Those are all the ones I can recall from the top of my head. Blizzard is a company built on false promises and lies for FOMO day-one sales. Yet people still hold out hope that it is another year 2000 Diablo 2 launch nostalgia copium moment.
Yes yes yes, and more importantly, how about just a great complete game out of the box? They only intention here is to justify selling you a battle pass full of cosmetics that only devalue cosmetics that should be earned by unique drops and accomplishments in the game. Also who is evening playing Diablo for drip fed story content, they only need to promise seasons, balance changes to make a wide variety of end game builds viable, and seasonal itemization updates.
 

N1tr0sOx1d3

Given another chance
There’s not a hope in hell they can write, design, program, implement, test, balance, squash bugs, QA, balance some more etc…..content every three months. No hope in hell…….
 

Hot5pur

Member
More story content in seasons is somewhat annoying unless it comes to the eternal realm. I don't want to have to keep making new characters. They should really be adding it to both. But it seems they want people to do seasons to get them into doing the battle pass treadmill. Will the season pass content go to the eternal realm after the season is over? That would be fine with me.

They did say there will be full expansions, so there is that. Judging by the history of the company I am confident they will try to squeeze out as much money as possible.

I plan to wait for reviews, if they are good and it's a solid 50+ hours of decent play I'll grab it close to day one and then probably drop it till the expansion unless the endgame is really good. If it's all recycled content with bigger numbers no thanks.
 

Luipadre

Member
Is it a GaaS? Wonder if this gonna reflect on the base content.

You dont have to worry about base content based on the beta. We only played the smallest map from the game and there are 4 more zones that are bigger and even a hell zone.
 
Top Bottom