Blizzard has released a number of details about Diablo 4. The company is answering many of the questions that have come up in recent days as we finally got the details of what will be released post-launch.
In Diablo 4, the premiere will actually be the beginning. Blizzard has confirmed that it wants to develop the game in a similar way to Diablo 3 and the seasons of the new production will be modeled on the 2012 hit, so we will again witness permanent resets that will allow players to start the game from scratch, choose the class and the appropriate configuration.
Each new season is not only about starting the fun from the beginning, but also completely new content:
“Players should see significant changes to the gameplay, so each new season will offer new features and a series of quests introducing new challenges, secrets and opportunities to gain experience. Players should notice this after an hour of play. One of the advantages of our approach to seasons is that we offer you fun new ways to develop your character. With each new season, the questlines will reveal more of Sanctuary’s secrets and explain what role your character plays in it. Thanks to this, we have the opportunity to introduce new characters or return to old ones, and at the same time we can expand our knowledge of the game world and the content of the season. “
The creators, however, decided to refresh the meta because “Diablo 4 is a huge game” and the team wants to make sure that every piece of content and all features are fun and challenging. It is for this reason that the authors want to constantly improve the characters and take care of the proper balance – we do not have to worry about a complete rebuilding of the characters.
“In addition, we’ll also be adding new legendary and unique items, master level tables, glyphs, and more to refresh the gameplay foundation and introduce new customization options.”
Diablo 4 is a game-service, So Blizzard will also constantly improve the gameplay – the company wants to take care of small improvements each season that will improve the experience of players and allow them to enjoy the title better.
Blizzard has also confirmed that it will be producing a series of live events, as Sanctuary is a “living world” with new events constantly appearing – such as a drowned invasion that will last for one weekend, or the arrival of a strange trader among the dry steppes crags.
Diablo 4 will also receive seasonal progress, which, just like in the case of Diablo 3, will be available to all players for free. We will receive rewards for completing the objectives, and in addition, completing the task will improve your situation in … the Season Pass.
Diablo 4 will receive the Season Pass, but Blizzard emphasizes – this is a paid game and the additional content will not affect our capabilities:
“As mentioned earlier, Diablo IV will be a paid game with a cosmetic shop and a season pass, but neither of these features will allow you to increase your character’s Power for a fee. When designing paid elements of the game, we wanted to create beautiful things that would provide a better gameplay experience. The scale of seasons in Diablo IV is much larger than those known from Diablo III. After the premiere, a special, large team will work on this aspect of the game. Over the next few years, Diablo IV will receive the support of an army of creators. Since we have big plans with seasons, we want all players to enjoy them, whether they buy something from the in-game store or not. I’m glad to finally share information about our game service with the community. “
Diablo 4 seasons will feature completely new modes, quests, challenges, metag changes, and improvements, and the Season Pass will provide players with better rewards – of course, these will only be elements for personalization.
These are the details of the Season Pass:
- The Season Pass includes levels with free rewards and premium rewards. The pass allows players to earn a variety of free rewards just for playing. During the season, at any time, they can purchase a Premium Pass to get access to Premium Reward Tiers – Season-themed cosmetic items and Premium Currency.
- Decorative elements are the prizes in the Season Pass. Like store-bought ones, they do not affect entertainment. Certain cosmetic types will only be available with the Season Pass.
- The premium currency is also a reward in the season pass. Players can spend it on decorative items in the store.
- The Season Pass offers free Seasonal Boosts. These buffs speed up the player’s progress throughout the season. For example, the Seasonal Boost can increase the XP gain to facilitate the development of multiple characters in the same season. Since such buffs affect gameplay, they will be available for free to all players. Please note – players cannot unlock seasonal buffs faster by shopping in the store, spending real money will in no way unlock more powerups or speed up their unlocking.
- Players can purchase levels with rewards, but this will not help unlock seasonal buffs faster. Purchasing reward tiers will not improve power-ups, as players also need to complete milestones in order to use them. All other membership tier rewards will be unlocked upon purchase. In other words, purchasing seasonal buffs is impossible to speed up. You have to get them.
- Season Pass advances accelerate Season Pass progress. While each playstyle will allow you to progress with the Season Pass, min-maxers can focus on the Season Pass Objectives to accelerate their progression.
It doesn’t stop there though, because Diablo 4 will also receive a store with premium currency, but also here we only have to buy items for personalization:
- The decorative items in the shop are paid for in premium currency. These elements give players even more visual modification options for their characters. There is no item in the shop that gives you a direct or indirect advantage in the game. Which means that while the purchased item may look powerful, it doesn’t affect any of the stats.
- In-store purchases are optional. Players can use all the basic and seasonal features of the game for free. We want players to visit the store when something grabs their attention and they are happy with their purchases.
- The store’s offer is transparent. Players need to know what they are buying. That’s why we designed a preview feature so that players can take a close look at a cosmetic and evaluate what it looks like on their characters before making a purchase.
- The prettiest decorative items will not be limited to the store. Diablo IV will feature hundreds of transmogrifications unlocked throughout the game, including some of the most beautifully presented armor sets. Players can find great, unique and legendary items without ever looking in the store. The store gives you more choices, but they won’t be any better than the ones available to everyone.
- Transmogrification armor from the store can be used by all characters of a given class. Many of the decorations in the store are class-specific fantasies that would not fit in with other professions. Once you’ve unlocked a cosmetic for one class, you can apply it to all characters of the same class on your account. Special decorations, available only with the Season Pass, are a nod to the theme of the season and will look the same for each class.