Summary
- Diablo 4's future depends on the success of the Vessel of Hatred expansion, which is expected to bring new content and revitalize the playerbase.
- The game has seen a decline in players due to underwhelming mechanics and competition from other titles like Last Epoch and Path of Exile 2.
- Blizzard faces a tough decision on whether to rush the expansion or take their time to deliver a worthwhile experience, with both options likely to draw criticism.
It's no secret that Diablo 4 has had a rocky reception after initial praise died down following the game's launch in June 2023. After a disappointing first season, Diablo 4 earned some goodwill back by improving the gameplay and content available in its second season while also announcing the first major content expansion, Vessel of Hatred, at Blizzcon 2023. However, now that Diablo 4 Season 3 has once again failed to live up to player expectations, the future of the game is now riding on the success of the Vessel of Hatred expansion more than ever.
While each season of Diablo 4 has introduced some degree of new content, like a seasonal questline and new gameplay gimmicks, the Vessel of Hatred expansion is planned to be a major content overhaul that includes a continuation of Diablo 4's story following Neyrelle and Mephisto. In addition to a new storyline, the Vessel of Hatred expansion is also set to bring players back to the iconic Diablo 2 location of Kurast within the region of Nahantu. All of this new content could be just the shot Diablo 4 needs to revitalize its playerbase, but it could be too little too late by the time it's ready for release.
Diablo 4's Most Popular Classes Explained
Diablo 4's statistics for 2023 say a lot about the game, and there's a reason its most popular classes stand out in the Season of Blood meta.
Diablo 4 is Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place with Vessel of Hatred
When it comes to active player count, Diablo 4 is far from a dead game with an average of over 150,000 active players per day. However, the game has seen a steady decline in players since the Season of the Construct launched to heavy fan criticism surrounding underwhelming mechanics like the Seneschal Companion and outright frustrating traps within the game's new Vault dungeon type. While Blizzard has patched the game since season 3 launched and addressed some of these player complaints, Diablo 4 is still at risk of losing out to stiff competition when titles like Last Epoch and Path of Exile 2 are released.
As such, Blizzard faces a tough decision when it comes to the Vessel of Hatred expansion: rush the expansion out as soon as possible to try and get ahead of Diablo 4's competitors, or take their time crafting a genuinely worthwhile experience to try and win back disgruntled players. Obviously, Diablo 4 fans are hoping that the Vessel of Hatred expansion delivers on the quality content Blizzard has promised for their live-service game, but the desire to beat their competition to the punch might force Blizzard to release the content earlier than planned. It almost seems as if Diablo 4 is in a lose-lose situation, with either choice likely to draw criticism.
Vessel of Hatred Needs to Release Sooner Rather than Later
Ultimately, Blizzard is better off fast-tracking the Vessel of Hatred expansion and releasing it sooner than expected. It's clear that Diablo 4's seasons aren't enticing enough to keep players engaged for the long haul, and with games like Last Epoch and Path of Exile 2 on the horizon, future seasons are going to have an increasingly difficult time keeping up with the game's competitors. At Blizzcon 2023, Diablo 4 developers teased that more information about the Vessel of Hatred expansion would be coming sometime around Summer 2024, putting the release target for the DLC likely within Fall 2024.
While this timeline would be expected under normal circumstances, the underwhelming reaction to Diablo 4 Season 3 could warrant the expansion being released sooner. Part of what the game is in dire need of is a new class to shake up the gameplay meta, and Diablo 4's Vessel of Hatred is confirmed to be adding a sixth class, but Blizzard has been tight-lipped about the class' details. Despite not even being a year old yet, Diablo 4's live-service elements seem to be failing what is an otherwise solid base game, and adding onto that base game experience with the Vessel of Hatred DLC could be the savior Diablo 4 needs.
Diablo 4
- Released
- June 5, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Publisher(s)
- Blizzard
- Franchise
- Diablo
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- Metascore
- 88
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 players (console only)
