Summary
- Blizzard addresses ongoing PC performance issues by disabling DirectStorage feature in the latest update.
- Diablo 4 also reduces crafting costs for Masterworking from ranks 1-4 to encourage player engagement.
- Blizzard teases Season 9 with new endgame content like Escalation Nightmares, aiming to challenge players with increasing difficulty levels.
Blizzard releases a new update for Diablo 4, attempting to put an end to the ongoing performance troubles, while making some big quality of life changes to Masterworking. As a live-service title, Diablo 4 has continued to evolve over the years since it launched, as each new season not only adds new content to the experience, but typically adds big quality of life changes as well.
As season 8 continues on, Blizzard has already started teasing new details regarding the upcoming endgame content for Diablo 4. Season 9 aims to add new dungeons called Escalation Nightmares, intending to be the "ultimate test" for players as they work through a chain of 3 nightmare level dungeons. Affexes will stack and rewards on offer will increase with each difficulty level, before facing the Exalted version of Astaroth. In the meantime, however, Blizzard is attempting to smooth some of the current rough edges with a new Diablo 4 update.
Diablo 4 Season 9 PTR Leak Reveals Class Changes
Dataminers leak a massive list of Diablo 4 Season 9 class changes coming as part of the next Public Test Realm experience next week.
For most players, the big piece to Diablo 4's update is the change to Masterworking. The Diablo 4 endgame crafting system lets players improve their gear affixes, though it can be a bit resource intensive. To help reduce costs at the earlier levels, Diablo 4 now reduces the basic materials cost of Masterworking through levels 1-4. In fact, all costs outside Obducite and Gold have been "substantially reduced" to prevent limiting how much players can engage with the system.
Another major piece of this update is the attempt to address the ongoing performance issues for many PC players. During Season 8, many Diablo 4 players started reporting issues on PC, including things like memory leaks and game crashes. With this latest update, Blizzard is disabling the DirectStorage setting to potentially alleviate performance issues. However, players can still enable the feature from the Battlenet launcher game settings for Diablo 4.
In the meantime, there's been a rising wave of discontent with players during Season 8. Recently, the reception has been largely mixed as Diablo 4 players have criticized the focus on microtransactions, like the Berserk collaboration, while seasonal progression has largely slowed without much new content to dig into. These complaints could be a reason why Blizzard has been more vocal than usual regarding its Season 9 plans.
Diablo 4 Update 2.2.2. Patch Notes
Base Game Update
- The basic materials cost of Masterworking through Ranks 1–4 has been reduced, as well as the Masterwork Reset requirements. All costs except Obducite and Gold have been substantially reduced.
Developer’s Note: intent is to ensure costs besides Obducite and Gold don’t limit Masterworking, especially when the player engages in a significant number of Masterwork Resets.
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We are disabling the DirectStorage setting to investigate performance issues. If you’d like to continue using DirectStorage to take advantage of faster load times on supported NVMe drives, you can re-enable it through these steps:
- Open the Battle.net Launcher
- Navigate to Diablo IV—"(Gear Icon) next to Play"—Game Settings
- Check "Additional command line arguments"
- Add: -enableds
Bug Fixes
Accessibility
- Fixed an issue where the Screen Reader wouldn't read cosmetic details in the Reliquary Menu.
- Fixed an issue where the Screen Reader would repeat supported classes for Reliquary cosmetic items.
- Fixed an issue where the Screen Reader read Season Journey objectives as fractions.
- Fixed an issue where the Screen Reader didn't function when viewing Steam Friends.
Season of Belial's Return
- Fixed an issue where the Buried Hope quest could have progress blocked if the player left the dungeon while the Slay the Ghosts objective was active.
- Fixed an issue where defeating Duz-Agur in Eriman's Pyre using Avarice's Explosive Ore Main power caused the stronghold shrine to become uninteractable.
- Fixed an issue where Staggering the Apparition of Kirma in the middle of its leap attack would result in the boss being unable to attack the player afterwards.
- Fixed an issue where the teleport effect from the Jah rune didn't work while Duriel's Burrow Main Power was equipped.
Gameplay
- Fixed an issue where Grigoire's Hoard Chest could be opened by players who did not participate in defeating the boss.
- Fixed an issue where Captain Willcocks, a rare monster in Hawezar, could become invincible if damaged too fast.
- Fixed an issue where Obducite could be dropped by one player and picked up by another.
- Fixed an issue where the Raven of the Tree would become uninteractable after closing the rewards selection without picking a reward.
- Fixed an issue where Lair Boss Chests could become uninteractable in certain scenarios.
User Interface and User Experience
- Fixed an issue where an icon for the Tree of Whispers displayed on the map for Ked Bardu.
- Fixed an issue where Season Journey objectives achieved before unlocking the chapter didn't display as completed.
- Fixed an issue where the game could freeze after double clicking the Create Character button in the character select menu.
- Fixed an issue where the Wave Counter in Infernal Hordes would fail to update.
Miscellaneous
- Fixed an issue where the Devout Champion achievement didn't unlock as expected in certain situations.
- Fixed an issue where the party vote would timeout then fail if someone left the party while the vote was active.
- Various visual, performance, stability, UI, and audio improvements.
Diablo 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action-RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot.
Embark on the epic campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through a gripping story in a beautifully dark world, or explore an expansive end game: battle iconic bosses for powerful loot, fight back the encroaching onslaught of Hell in Helltides, master the Forge to create your ultimate weapons and progress powerful characters, with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms.
Discover the critically acclaimed franchise that defined the Action RPG genre. As the battle between the High Heavens and Burning Hells rages on, hatred devours Sanctuary as evil spreads and a new wave of cultists and worshippers arise to embrace Lilith’s coming. Only a brave few dare to face this threat and bring light to the all-consuming darkness.
Expansive Open WorldForge your own path through the corrupted lands of Sanctuary, an ever-growing, fully explorable world teeming with challenges, quests, enemies, and loot. Join your fellow adventurers, rescue and retake besieged towns, delve into nightmarish dungeons and uncover lost secrets as you fight back evil. The many zones of Sanctuary are yours to explore, and with rotating areas of extreme peril like World Bosses and Helltide, danger lurks at every turn.
Immersive Character DevelopmentCreate and customize your character to face the encroaching darkness. Choose from one of five classes and build your hero with skills, abilities and cosmetics, creating a champion that is uniquely your own. Grow stronger as you progress through powerful Skill Trees and develop even more unique end game specializations with Paragon Boards.
Legendary Gear, Epic BattlesDiscover and experiment with a vast arsenal of powerful weapons, armor and more to fight back against the demons threatening Sanctuary. Explore unique combinations, create your own upgrades and collect a plethora of powerful tools to battle in immersive, action-packed combat against the deadliest of enemies.
Seasons & EventsThe tales of Sanctuary continue to unfold. Create Seasonal Characters and join in fresh adventures - master new mechanics and take on the latest threats in each new Season. Complete harrowing feats of the Season Journey and earn new Battle Pass rewards. Plus, sharpen your swords and get in the spirit of the seasons when Limited-Time Events sweep through Sanctuary.
End Game UndertakingsThere’s even more Diablo® IV to explore as you reach higher levels and more fearsome World Tiers. Face the greatest challenge yet as you take on the most powerful demons in The Pit, steel yourself against Uber Bosses to reap uber unique rewards, fight back overflowing armies of Hell as Helltides emerge across Sanctuary, battle larger-than-life World Bosses, and master the Forge to create the mightiest weapons fit for a hero.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Diablo
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 players (console only)
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 158.25 GB
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
