Diablo 4’s seasonal model has caused the expected anger, but could Blizzard surprise us?

It’s perhaps no coincidence that Diablo 4 is Blizzard’s fastest-selling game. Given the long wait, the series’ biggest draw compared to Warcraft, Overwatch, and Hearthstone: An unprecedented release was inevitable.

But every big release brings with it a host of new players, many of whom have never played a Diablo game before and may not necessarily be familiar with the ins and outs of the series. Even for longtime fans, seasonal content has always been the territory of the most hardcore gamers, the kind that never stops playing.

When Blizzard announced that Diablo 4 will be the first to bring a battle pass to the series with each new season. Suddenly, everyone is now paying close attention to the seasons. Which is where the problem lies.

Diablo 4 launches in a climate where battle passes are expected for any game that even claims to promise a live service. They are in free games as well as paid/premium games. Not having a battle pass in a major release these days would be news.

That also means that the battle pass model is pretty standardized. How you earn levels varies from game to game and is often up for debate, but the structure (free and paid levels), content (cosmetics and XP boosts), and even runtime are all. similar in many Games with battle passes.

Battle Passes are usually released with a new season, every quarter or so. A new season means new content, which depends on the game. But you can expect new maps (if it’s a shooter), new in-game items, new characters, new skins, camouflages, etc.

The idea of ​​a season in a Diablo game is as old as the franchise itself, but in the battle pass it’s the complete opposite. Blizzard decided to marry the battle pass into its existing seasonal structure, and therein lies the problem.

Diablo 4 is late, for better or worse, to the battle pass party. That is, players expect you to play by already established rules. In order for it to stand out, it needs to offer something that existing Battle Passes don’t. The Call of Duty Battle Pass includes enough money to pay for itself, while the Halo Infinite Battle Pass never expires once you buy it.

Diablo 4’s battle pass doesn’t offer anything out of the ordinary, so it makes sense that players would expect it to work just like in Fortnite, Apex Legends, Call of Duty, etc. Except, of course, that it doesn’t. Tying together the existing style of Diablo seasons with a battle pass, players are now required to play by Blizzard’s rules.

In Diablo seasons, you are expected to create a new character to earn new season rewards and join a race to the highest level together with other players. Your existing characters cannot participate in the new content, so you will start from scratch. This is part of why Diablo seasons have only been events for the game’s most ardent fans, while everyone else just continued to level up their existing characters.

During a recent livestream, Blizzard confirmed that this structure will return for Diablo 4, which means all players will need to start with a new character if they intend to participate in the new seasonal content. Unfortunately, that also means that battle pass progress can only be made by characters created for this or that season.

This is where the reaction begins. Considering the huge audience Diablo 4 has attracted so far, the idea that you’re going to have to start over every season isn’t reasonable to many. For one thing, the grind in Diablo 4, especially once you hit level 80-85 and beyond, is incredibly slow.

For players to learn that the characters they invested dozens of hours into need to be effectively stationed so they can progress with new characters each new season is out of the question. It’s also worth keeping in mind that many existing Diablo players, like myself, never bothered to participate in seasons in previous games. Now, I’ll have to if I want to experience the new missions and earn battle pass rewards (which are already paid for).

You can clearly see this sentiment in most of the responses to this tweet from Diablo GM Rod Fergusson, in which he responded to a question from journalist Paul Tassi.

Hi Paul, yes, in order to participate in the Seasonal Quest Chain, Mechanics, Seasonal Journey, and Battle Pass, you will need to create a new Seasonal Character. Playing a campaign with seasonal characters (if you want or need to finish it) will also advance the season journey and battle pass.

—Rod Ferguson (@RodFerguson) June 19, 2023

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While you’ll be able to skip the campaign on seasonal characters (if you’ve finished it once), and your new characters will still exist after the season ends, it may still be too much for players to bear. But is that reason enough to worry?

I say we have to see how it plays out before we panic. There’s still a lot we don’t know about the rate at which we’ll progress in Diablo 4’s battle pass. We also have to see the rewards, or really have an idea of ​​how significant the new content is.

Diablo 4’s battle pass will last a bit longer than most modern games, so that may end up being what makes it an easier pill to swallow. This particular mix of season and battle pass is new to Diablo, so there’s every reason to believe that Blizzard may change for future seasons, or at least make some concessions.