Although Diablo 4 hasn't received an official release date yet, it has quickly become one of the most anticipated games with its promise to change up the ARPG formula. Over the past few years, the ARPG genre has become a little stale and even seasonal updates in games like Diablo 3 and Path of Exile can't overcome player burnout. As ARPGs shift towards faster clear speeds and meta builds, these games discourage players from experimentation and strategical playstyles.

While Diablo 4 will likely capture the interest of ARPG fans for a while after release, Blizzard has the difficult challenge of continually improving upon its design throughout seasons. With the biggest ARPGs lacking player retention as time goes on, it's important that Diablo 4 seeks to balance the best aspects of the genre to incentivize players to return. Diablo 4 needs to expand upon the accessibility and polish of Diablo 3 while evolving its endgame and build viability to encourage replayability.

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The Problem With Burnout in Diablo 3 and Path of Exile

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While there have been plenty of ARPGs released over the years, Diablo 3 and Path of Exile continue to remain the biggest in the genre due to their seasonal design which encourages players to return to the game to experience new mechanics or updates. Over the past few years however, even these two games have begun to slow down in player retention due to numerous issues that have caused burnout in their fanbase. While the concept of seasons have set them apart from other ARPGs like Grim Dawn and Wolcen, the sense of progression is also diluted by the constant grind.

For Diablo 3, the endgame can lack depth and eventually devolve into an endless progression system of higher numbers. While its polish and accessibility are unparalleled within the genre, there's not much replayability beyond a certain point. On the other hand, Path of Exile is a lot more complex with its massive skill tree and intricate mechanics introduced throughout seasons. However, Path of Exile's meta has shifted towards speed over the years, and builds are focused on how quickly maps are cleared in order to acquire more loot. In both scenarios, the games have placed so much emphasis on loot that combat no longer is as challenging and progression becomes grindy.

Diablo 4's Tough Balancing Act

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With the announcement of Diablo 4, fans have been waiting to see how it revitalizes the genre with its new direction. While it's nice to see that Diablo 4 is a return to the franchise's roots with its darker tone, it's also important that its gameplay elements balance together the best aspects of the genre. Diablo 3's endgame was far too shallow and its seasonal updates lacked the depth to incentivize players to return. While Diablo 4 should retain the combat mechanics and accessibility of its predecessor, it needs to take endgame cues from games like Path of Exile where players have more freedom to choose the content they want to do for progression.

On the other hand, Diablo 4 also wants to avoid the pitfalls of Path of Exile where the overly complex mechanics can feel like a chore. Every new season in Path of Exile requires players to rush through the ten act story to reach endgame and continuously progress their Atlas of Worlds to reach the hardest content. Furthermore, the complexities and RNG involved in crafting leads to a reliance on the market instead of players gearing up themselves. Though there are a lot more options available to players in terms of progression, it requires players to have set goals in mind or they risk burning out fairly quickly into the season. 

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Build Viability in Diablo 4

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Of course, it's perfectly normal for players to get tired of ARPGs as they take breaks or play the game at their own pace. The problem is that the current playstyles of the biggest ARPGs don't incentivize players to do so. Players can still find plenty of enjoyment by tackling these games without focusing on clear speed but they inevitably fall behind meta builds and have their progression gated.

Even in Path of Exile, a game which boasts massive build diversity through its giant skill tree, the meta builds have revolved around certain skill gems and non-meta builds can potentially limit the content a player can do. Path of Exile suffers from illusion of choice where there appears to be plenty of diversity but only select builds are viable in pushing all the content.

On one hand, it's inevitable that ARPGs will encourage fast clear speeds because the fundamental mechanics revolve around loot and gearing. However, there's also potential for non-meta builds to become viable as long as the game consistently balances the skills and mechanics to minimize power creep. While it's impossible to ensure that all builds are equal, there should be a greater focus in tweaking the viability of builds between the seasons. The other option is to slow down the entire pace of the game similar to how ARPGs like Grim Dawn are designed but that goes against the emphasis on loot and might feel awkward for veteran players.

The Future of ARPGs Depends on Diablo 4's Success

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Either way, Diablo 4 has to make some fundamental changes in the Diablo formula if it wants to retain a sizeable player base through its lifespan. With more ARPGs being released and sequels like Path of Exile 2 in development, it's imperative that Diablo 4 manages to alleviate some of the issues within the genre. Diablo has essentially been the pioneering franchise in the looter ARPG genre and the success of Diablo 4 could easily inspire other developers to evolve their games as well.

More than anything, Diablo 4 needs to revitalize the ARPG genre in a way that promotes build viability, accessibility, and continued evolution. It should look to take the best aspects of the genre and turn them into an experience that's open to newcomers and veterans alike. Of course, it's extremely difficult to perfectly balance the loot-driven design against inevitable grinding but placing more emphasis on build diversity and viability will go a long way in encouraging replayability in Diablo 4. 

Diablo 4 is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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