Today, theDiablo IVteam sat down to discuss Season 4, player feedback, and future goals for the ever-changing aRPG.
Loot is the reason for the season
A main talking point during the stream was a focus on lessening time spent “sorting” through loot after a brief outing in, say, a Nightmare Dungeon. Less affixes, more meaningful drops, and a higher potential for customization via the new Tempering and Masterworking systems means far less time spent straining your eyes comparing every pair of pants.
Another change that aims to pare down useless loot drops is more guaranteed sources of item level 925 gear. Obol gambling will provide 925 gear, guaranteed, in World Tier 4 at level 100. Helltides, too, will drop maximum item level gear.
The team is also looking to increase the value of Rare and Magic items beyond salvage fodder, but this will come in a future patch. Right now, Legendaries are the star of the show, but even these are getting their own “jackpot” moments through Greater Affixes (1.5x the highest possible value), which are denoted by unique icons when they drop.
Armor and stat cap balance changes
The devs are aware that, currently, enemies that seem easy as players progress will suddenly begin 1-shotting them as the difficulty ramps up. Things like damage reduction and armor values are overly complex at the moment, and these knobs are being turned:
Helltide Reborn
Helltide is getting a major facelift in season 4, with a focus on enemy density and activity variety. These changes are permanent, appear in World Tier 1 through 4, and will also be coming to the Eternal Realm.
Iron Wolves content details
The Iron Wolves will fight alongside players during Helltides, with Seasonal players having access to a new questline involving the faction. This content isn’t as juicy as proper, “seasonal” content, but it’s a concession since most of the resources clearly went to balance changes and item reworks.
Changes based on PTR feedback
Q&A
These are abbreviated (not quoted) from the Q&A segment of the stream:
