Blizzard Acknowledges Diablo 4’s Lack of Challenge, Promises Adjustments for Next Season

Taking out hordes of demons is undeniably thrilling in any loot-based action RPG, yet doing so mere minutes after crafting your character? That’s pushing it. In games like these, the joy comes from feeling your progression in power, step by step. If you don’t feel that gradual empowerment, the allure of chasing better loot fades away. This is precisely where many players pinpoint the issue with Diablo 4’s current season: it’s simply too easy.

Even Blizzard can see the challenge this poses and is focusing the upcoming season, season 8, on ramping up difficulty without compromising the exhilarating transformation into a demon-slaying powerhouse. During a recent stream, the developers elaborated on plans to make the trek from level 1 to 60 not only slower but also more rewarding, while also cranking up the difficulty on post-game content.

When Diablo 4 released its first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, it overhauled the game’s progression, but that momentum has somewhat dissipated as players sped through content, according to design director Colin Finer. This season, players have been blazing to max level in record time, less than half the duration of past seasons. To safeguard the integrity of those early game stages, Blizzard is extending the journey through the first 25 levels.

Moreover, the coveted Legendary items, the pinnacle of loot, will be scarcer on your way to level 60. However, items of lower tiers that you’d typically overlook are getting a boost in power to ensure there’s still plenty to aim for. Finer hopes this approach will make leveling “more rewarding and satisfying.”

As for the endgame, this phase of Diablo 4 is where you fine-tune your character and tackle heightened Torment difficulty levels for superior loot. These are also becoming more formidable. Blizzard has noticed that a whopping 50% of players have reached the highest Torment tier this season in half the time it usually takes. Finer notes, “Our philosophy is that the hardest Torment tier — currently Torment 4 — should be an aspiration achieved by about 10% of players.” Thus, moving forward, each step up in Torment will pose a significantly tougher challenge.

In the next season, endgame bosses will be no cakewalk either. Instead of casually farming them for loot, players will face reimagined challenges designed for those who’ve honed their characters. Three new formidable bosses are entering the fray, and you won’t be swimming in summoning tokens anymore. These bosses can be fought without cost, rewarding a chest that requires a key to unlock. Plus, there’s a wildcard twist: the mighty Belial might crash your victory celebrations.

Excitingly, Battle.net PC players will get to trial these changes during the season 8 Public Test Realm from March 11 to March 18, before the full season launches on April 29.