Diablo 4 may be on some unknown horizon, but Blizzard wants to make sure you’re aware that it’s still out there.  They have released (via IGN) an official trailer teaser featuring “Cannibals” with the caption “Check out the gruesome monster family coming to Diablo 4, the Cannibals.”  In it, the camera slowly pans around numerous frozen characters presumably showing up as enemies in the future release.

The fact that this is labeled a “teaser trailer” implies that a more robust trailer is coming down the line, but I have to say that I question the purpose of such a trailer in the first place.  All it does is pan back and forth across those frozen models for 90 seconds.  That hardly seems like a teaser since it hasn’t made me or anyone I know more excited about these depicted people.

Blizzard hasn’t made much in the way of news since the terrible launch of Warcraft III: Reforged.  Outside of the news that they would offer unconditional refunds for the much-criticized re-release, the company seems to be trying to stay out of the mainstream gaming media until they can offer something to improve their standing.  However, after so many negative announcements and recent releases, many have lost hope that Blizzard can redeem itself.

I still have some hope that the company can get Diablo 4 to a state that both launches better than Diablo 3 and is as enjoyable and robust is it needs to be to stand out.  There was a time when ARPGs were sparse, but developers are now embracing the fun of hacking and slashing enemies in ways that advance well beyond what Diablo popularized.  If Blizzard wants to “wow” anyone with this next release, they’re going to have to do more than spin a camera around a diorama.

Are you excited for Diablo 4?  Do you think Blizzard can bounce back before the game attempts to launch?

There has been no shortage of news relating to the classic Action Role Playing Games (ARPGs) lately. The obvious, of course, is the announcement of Diablo 4. However, since that time, the sequel to Path of Exile was also announced along with a delay to Torchlight Frontiers, a persistent world multiplayer successor in the Torchlight franchise. Even Minecraft is joining in on the genre with Minecraft Dungeons. The Diablo-like genre of ARPGs has never had a brighter future if you ignore the fact that they’ve been mechanically stagnant for years.

Many games have adapted the design made popular by the original Diablo in 1996. The concept of moving your character around with mouse clicks was well established, but tying it all together with repetitious attacks and loot collecting spawned a wave of games using a similar design for decades. Heading into the fourth (real) iteration of the series, Blizzard seems unwilling to shake much of that formula. Heroes still perform attacks and spell casting at the whim of a cursor ripping through waves of enemies. The recent Path of Exile 2 trailer demonstrates quite a bit of this as well. Where is the innovation?

The defining factors for differentiating games of this genre have been adding unique character classes, building up lore, and enhancing the visual fidelity of the environment/enemies/spells/etc. Outside of these criteria, there were few ways to have a distinct ARPG. Now we’re headed into the next wave of this genre and it seems little will change.

It may not be the fault of the developers though. Changes to the base formula are often met with very vocal opposition. The love of loot-filled piñatas and repetitive monster clicking is deeply ingrained in many fans of the genre. Even as I tire of looping through procedurally generated dungeons obliterating the same demons, I still find the value in the experience. However, I do desire something more to the process. Something that can make ARPGs less about just picking up loot or enjoying a story only the first time through multiple playthroughs.

Technically, there are quite a few ARPGs if you step away from the classification of just being “like Diablo.” The most notable being the “Souls-like” games that are now ubiquitous on every platform. These games still rely on sprawling environments, loads of enemies, and even a somewhat toned down but still relevant loot system. Yet they stand out mechanically by giving the player dodge, block, and parry maneuvers along with much more deadly combat. We’ve discussed previously whether this would be a viable addition, but it seems – aside from some dodge maneuvers – there isn’t much of it going on in Diablo 4 or any other ARPGs.

One way they could flesh out these types of games is to give the players more lore to experience. Diablo has always had a rich backstory, but it’s one that gets lost in the frantic flow of the online experience. Even when you take the time to look at it, it lacks the depth of many other more traditional RPGs. We’ve seen from The Witcher 3 that mature-themed RPG stories can be incredible, so perhaps this can be a route Blizzard and other ARPG developers pursue.

While there are plenty of directions Diablo and other ARPGs franchises can take to add depth to their games, there will always be a group of people that prefer the fundamentals of the genre. Even with the potential for monotonous gameplay, there’s a good chance I’ll find myself playing and probably enjoying several of these upcoming games. I can only hope that innovation allows them to stick with me for longer than the last generation of these ARPGs.

There are no guarantees in life, but it’s really starting to feel inevitable that Blizzard will announce Diablo 4 at BlizzCon 2019. Aside from the avalanche of rumors that hint at the game’s pending reveal, there’s also the fact that people are still talking about how badly Blizzard botched the reveal of the mobile game, Diablo Immortal.

Combine that controversy with some other recent controversies involving Blizzard and Hong Kong and…well…let’s just say Blizzard could use a win.

Until now, much of the talk surrounding Diablo 4 has been pretty standard. Most people expect it to be similar to Diablo 3 in most respects but bigger and hopefully better. Because Diablo 4 needs to be a big win for Blizzard, people don’t think they’ll try to reinvent the wheel with this sequel.

Yet, there are some who wonder if now isn’t the perfect time for Blizzard to change the Diablo formula just a bit. Specifically, some are wondering if Diablo 4 should be more like Dark Souls.

Before we break down what that means, let’s clear the air a bit. There was a rumor that started floating around about a year ago which suggested that an early version of Diablo 4 was in fact modeled after the Dark Souls formula. However, it was also reported that the Diablo team didn’t like how that game was coming together and decided to abandon it in favor of something more traditional.

That would seem to close the lid on the idea that Diablo 4 may resemble Dark Souls, but that suggestion ignores a couple of points. First off, we don’t know how much of that original build of Diablo 4 may have survived the transition. It’s possible that Diablo 4 could still be a third-person game and not an isometric RPG, for instance.

More importantly, the question isn’t whether or not Diablo 4 will be more like Dark Souls. The quest is, “Should Diablo 4 be more like Dark Souls?”

That question is much more interesting. Until now, the Diablo series has followed a pretty straightforward formula that hasn’t changed much over the years. They are isometric action-RPGs that see you level up a character and acquire increasingly better gear off random and pre-determined drops. They’re mostly known for their simple (but deep) gameplay, dark tones, and hours of content.

That’s all well and good, but it’s been seven years since the release of Diablo 3. A lot has happened since then. Games like Path of Exile have replicated the Diablo formula and added so much content over the years that there’s no way Diablo 4 could conceivably match it out of the gate. We’ve also seen titles like Destiny come along and offer core elements of the Diablo formula as part of an evolved package that features changes like first-person shooter gameplay and persistent online multiplayer options.

Yet, the most important thing that has changed since the release of Diablo 3 was the reveal of the aforementioned Diablo Immortal.

Early reports indicate that Diablo Immortal is actually pretty similar to a traditional mobile game but on mobile devices. That makes a lot of sense, actually, when you consider that Diablo doesn’t demand much from a technical standpoint that couldn’t be accomplished in the ’90s and early 2000s.

That’s kind of the point here. What happens if Diablo 4 offers pretty much the same experience as Diablo Immortal but features a few more mechanics and some slightly refined graphics? You get the feeling that might kind of “expose” the ways in which Diablo has aged and inspire some to suggest that Diablo 4 was negatively impacted by Blizzard’s desire to make mobile games.

That being the case, you’d think that Diablo 4 might benefit from going the Dark Souls route in some ways. Specifically, it could incorporate a more dynamic third-person combat system, feature larger open environments, and even ramp up the difficulty and dark themes (two missing elements some fans took the retail release of Diablo 3 to task for). Diablo 4 could borrow aspects and innovations from Dark Souls, feel new, and still feel like a Diablo game at the core.

It sounds good, but it probably won’t happen. The truth is that far more people will probably be upset if Diablo 4 is anything but the “more Diablo” they’ve been seeking for years. We’ll see how those fans react to a game that may just be an improved Diablo 3, but right now, Diablo 4 is most valuable as a PR win for Blizzard and an almost guaranteed sales hit. Diablo Immortal proved that a Diablo game that offers something even a little different may not get them both of those things.

Yet, you can’t help but wonder if we’re at a point when it is in fact time for Diablo 4 to grow and even change.

Not long after Overwatch released in 2016, Chris Metzen stepped down from his role in Blizzard. While he had not been a founder, he had become a core component in the foundation of the company. He created many character designs and animations, provided many story concepts for their main franchises, and even voiced several important characters within those stories. His exit, along with other long-time leaders in the company, seemed to be a turning point in how Blizzard would function.

Blizzard’s desire to join in on the throngs of games reaching for always-online “games as a service” platform came to the surface with the launch of Diablo 3. A game franchise that previously had been just as viable to play completely offline since online now required a constant internet connection even when solo. This fell apart at launch as players installed the game and tried to log on only to see errors and failures to connect. The game was unplayable by some people for days.

On top of this, Diablo 3 featured an auction house where players could spend real money (with Blizzard taking a cut) to buy in-game weapons, armor, and other items. This worked off of a design where players would receive loads of gear not relevant to their character so they would have to dump it on the market and purchase loot that would actually help them. These issues were ultimately addressed, but clearly, Blizzard had started down a path of poor decisions based on profit.

Blizzard’s use of “loot boxes” in Overwatch is often cited as the starting point for the normalization of the practice in mainstream full-priced games. While the company denies any negative attributes of this practice, it has undoubtedly left a lasting negative impact on the gaming community. Again, the profitability of the company was prioritized over the quality of the game.

Last year at Blizzcon, the announcement of a mobile Diablo game shocked and angered many longtime fans of the franchise. Diablo Immortal would be developed in conjunction with a Chinese developer and shared many similarities with an existing game they had created, Endless of God. This whole process was Blizzard’s attempt to tap into the massive Chinese mobile gaming market, which has for years been the largest in the world. With this newfound pile of money to chase after, Blizzard was more than willing to capitulate to the Chinese government in recent events.

Blitzchung, a professional Hearthstone gamer, recently shouted on a Blizzard Taiwan stream “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our age.” This, of course, referencing ongoing protests in Hong Kong that are vehemently opposed by the Chinese government. In response, Blizzard stripped the player of his winnings, banned him from tournaments for a year, and fired the hosts of the stream despite them only being adjacent to the announcement.

It is to be expected that they would at least remove the VOD (video on demand) of the event from Twitch, but the fact that they took such egregious measures to punish someone for standing up for freedom is just simply sad. These are the actions of a company so desperate to drive their stock price back up that they’re willing to dish out unjust punishment based on ambiguous policy. It is the cherry on top of the frozen shell that Blizzard has become. A company that once exemplified the best parts of gaming has seemingly lost everything that once made it so great.

While some may trace Blizzard’s downfall back to their merge with Activision, it has become more obvious in recent years that the vision of the company isn’t what it used to be. I expect in the coming years, they’ll continue to cash in on the nostalgia of their fans by continuing to release things like a remastered StarCraft and Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft Classic. Meanwhile, I believe the franchises going forward will keep trending toward monetization-heavy experiences that lack the quality of previous games. It would take nothing short of a miracle to turn them around at this point.

For me, Blizzard is a lost cause. I can’t see myself being invested in any of their games in the future given current circumstances. Will you still be interested in future titles like Diablo Immortal? Do you plan on continuing to play games like Overwatch and Hearthstone? Has any of this changed your perspective on Blizzard?

The most divisive games of all-time typically share one thing: they blend the brilliant and the bad.

If the following games were just bad, they wouldn’t have a legion of defenders. If they were strictly brilliant, they wouldn’t inspire an army of detractors to rise up against them. Instead, a truly divisive game often blends its best and worst ideas in equal measure.

So yes, these are the most divisive games of all-time, but that also means they are among the most interesting.

Grand Theft Auto IV

There’s certainly a case to be made that Grand Theft Auto IV is the most divisive game of all-time.

Grand Theft Auto IV stripped away many of the series’ goofiest elements in favor of a more realistic, down-to-Earth crime story. Along with that tonal shift came more “realistic” driving controls that some people flat-out hated as well as fewer of the insane missions that made Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas a fan favorite. GTA IV also favored presenting a living, breathing, digital world over giving the player more activities to do in that world.

Interestingly, the slower approach of GTA IV would later divide those who played Red Dead Redemption 2.

Metal Gear Solid 2

Some people will tell you that Metal Gear Solid 2 is divisive because of the protagonist switch that happens midway through the game. However, that’s not the whole story.

Some gamers were upset that they had to play as Raiden instead of Solid Snake for much of the game, but that only scratches the surface of the MGS 2 controversy. The game’s long and sometimes rambling cutscenes were a major turn-off to some, as was the second half of the game’s sometimes repetitious gameplay (which, it turns out, is partially due to elements of the controversial plot).

The Metal Gear Solid series is no stranger to debate, but this is certainly its most divisive hour.

Diablo 3

Diablo 3‘s broken launch and controversial policies are certainly part of the game’s divisive history, but long after those problems were fixed, Diablo fans remain split on this all-time best selling game.

To simply summarize a complicated discussion, some Diablo fans feel that Diablo 3 watered down the Diablo experience too much in favor of appealing to a wider audience.

This isn’t the only time we’ll discuss that controversial decision on this list, but it’s hard to argue there are certainly noticeable design differences between Diablo 2 and Diablo 3.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

As the Zelda game exclusive to Nintendo’s best-selling console ever, you’d think that Skyward Sword would be a beloved, oft-referenced classic. However, that’s not quite the case.

Skyward Sword isn’t necessarily controversial for any one thing (except, perhaps, its motion controls) but rather a series of design decisions which fans felt represented a step back from previous entries in the franchise. Detractors argue that its moments of epic brilliance are hindered by its repetitive gameplay, empty world, and an annoying sidekick.

Of course, Skyward Sword could be the worst Zelda game and it’d still be worth playing.

Halo 2

Halo 2‘s multiplayer is almost universally beloved and respected, but its single-player is another story.

Actually, much of the single-player’s controversy can be traced back to its story. After teasing an epic battle for the fate of Earth, Bungie delivered a game that barely allows players to fight for their home planet before sending them off on a bizarre adventure that includes another Halo, an intelligent Flood hivemind, and another controversial protagonist switch.

15 years later, Halo 2‘s single-player campaign remains a controversial topic among franchise fans.

BioShock Infinite

Depending on who you ask, BioShock Infinite is either one of the most brilliant games ever made or a complete disappointment. There’s really no middle-ground.

Most will tell you that BioShock Infinite‘s world and use of music are simply incredible, but the debate comes in when you start talking about its story and gameplay. Infinite utilizes a much more straightforward style of action than its predecessor, while its story often struggles to deliver on an incredible premise.

Of course, even those who hated the game would probably gladly welcome another BioShock.

Gone Home

Is Gone Home even a game?

That’s the source of the debate surrounding this atmospheric mystery title that helped kick off the “walking simulator” genre. Simply put, some people don’t feel that wandering around a small environment with few interaction options and little traditional gameplay doesn’t constitute a game.

Others say that Gone Home represents a milestone in the evolution of video game storytelling and world design. You be the judge.

Days Gone

The most recent controversial game on this list earned its divisive reputation due to the argument between most critics and most fans that erupted soon after its release.

Many reviews panned Days Gone for being a generic example of recent open-world design spiced with some awful storytelling and character development, but many more fans said that critics were being too hard on a game that was bountiful, interesting, and fun.

To be honest, we side with the critics on this one.

Fallout 4

Like Diablo III, the Fallout 4 controversy is mostly about whether or not the game is watered-down.

In the minds of hardcore fans, Fallout 4 took away the choices, role-playing elements, and wonderful writing featured in Fallout: New Vegas and other franchise installments in favor of better graphics, protagonist voice acting, and simplified action gameplay.

You could say that the perfect Fallout game lies somewhere between Fallout 4 and New Vegas‘ best ideas.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are generally considered to be two of the greatest superhero games of all-time. Arkham Knight‘s reputation is a little more complicated.

Terrible technical issues on PC aside, some fans felt that Arkham Knight spent too much time treading Arkham City‘s ground while only adding a Batmobile that the game forced you to utilize too often. Others were disappointed by the revelations related to the titular “Arkham Knight” and other plot points.

Arkham Knight proves that no franchise formula is solid enough to be immune from controversy.

It has been nearly 11 years since Blizzard (as a part of Vivendi) merged with Activision and became Activision Blizzard. Since that time, the value of the company has steadily climbed, even as some of its core franchises were met with public criticism. Nearly every game developed primarily after this merger (StarCraft 2 was already in development) has had public perception issues—usually relating to monetization. Diablo 3’s in-game auction house led to a game with a loot system built to drive a desire to buy and sell products for real money. Hearthstone was the company’s first real “Free to Play” game, a monetization method generally designed to coerce players into heavily investing in microtransactions. Overwatch became one of the first games to popularize the concept of buying a full price game and having optional in-game loot boxes and microtransactions. Then, most recently, Diablo Immortal became Blizzard’s first fully mobile game to the stunned silence of the audience at Blizzcon 2018.

Blizzard seems to have shifted its corporate culture from creating games that appeal to specific fanbases to one that places a much stronger emphasis on building profitable games. Being a brand on the face of the stock exchange will do that to any company. Where once Blizzard was only scrutinized by their customers, now the value of their company can be at stake from a game that doesn’t perform as well as they had predicted. With that perspective in mind, the choice to take Diablo to mobile makes a lot more sense. Mobile games are one of the largest gaming markets in the world, especially in China. That is why Diablo Immortal is being co-developed by the Chinese company NetEase. The country has well-established laws prohibiting foreign publishers from operating games there, meaning the partnership is most likely a method to enable access to that market, giving them the ability to reach millions of Chinese gamers. With the right game, it could be a very successful endeavor.

Does Blizzard have a path to climb out of this downward spiral? Has the negative reaction to Diablo Immortal and the recent cancellation of an unnamed StarCraft first-person shooter caused them to rethink their strategies? Well, one of the reasons this StarCraft game was canceled was to focus resources on creating Diablo 4. They’ve obviously seen how little the American market desires for the franchise to go to mobile, so things may be turning around in that particular area.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Diablo 4 won’t have its own set of design or monetization issues, but we do have to consider what happened with Diablo 3. After its troubled launch, the developers committed to building a game worthy of the franchise history. With the removal of the paid auction house and the addition of a significant amount of content, the game was much improved. A solid expansion was released and even now seven years later, the game still has content being released. Diablo 3 is a more rich and enjoyable experience in 2019 than it ever was in 2012. Multiple consoles have even had adapted ports of the game and each has been well received. Contrary to the perspective given by the development of Diablo Immortal, Blizzard still shows signs of understanding their core customer base.

Still, Activision Blizzard laid off 800 people a few months ago – even after announcing record profits. Moves like this can be demoralizing to development staff and, depending on the target of these layoffs, it could inhibit the actual development process directly. While virtually every company has an ebb and flow of employees, a volatile workplace is not a productive workplace. Especially for one that requires creativity as well as tolerance for the tedium of working out bugs.

Blizzard will undoubtedly continue efforts to focus on its existing intellectual properties and build games that expand upon them for as long as possible. Blizzard is still a huge company with thousands of employees, so they’re not going to disappear overnight no matter how bad things get. The factor that determines whether they’ll continue to be relevant down the line is how committed they’ll be to delivering the type of games that made them so popular. I don’t mean remaking StarCraft and WarCraft, but building on their franchises with new exciting content. Diablo 4 might be the first step back on the right path, but it could also be one that takes them further toward a future of being forgotten.

The Diablo III beta has been a source of joy for many and anguish for the people that have yet to participate. But that all changes for this weekend as everyone will get a chance to get in on slaughtering demons. Diablo III will be holding an open beta from 12pm April 20th to Monday April 23 at 10am. Check out the Battle.net blog for more information and the links to download the beta client. I’ll see you in the beta this weekend–give me your feedback of the beta in the comments.

Diablo III Open Beta Sign-up