Things haven’t been going well in the world of Diablo 4. Everyone pretty much knows that, but it’s especially weird when Blizzard can be seen has having given up itself. In August, the studio took the very unusual step of announcing the game’s next PTR (Public Test Realm) via… a Discord Q&A.
More than two years since Diablo 4 launched, it seems Blizzard has finally relented on its most-needed feature. A new 'burning questions' developer video sees Diablo 4 community influencer manager Ruben 'Bluddshed' Marquez sit down with systems designer Aislyn Hall, live-service design director Dan Tanguay, and class designer Charles Dunn to talk about the future of the ARPG, and there are some very welcome tidbits in here. Alongside altered drop tables and a redesign for leaderboards, it sounds as though the studio has finally turned a corner on the one thing I've most desperately wished for since the beginning.
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A group of more than 450 Diablo developers have voted to form a union at Blizzard, under the banner of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
According to a CWA press release, the new union is made up of game developers, artists, designers, engineers, and support staff across the Diablo series, and has already been formally recognised by Blizzard parent company Microsoft. These workers join the over 500 World of Warcraft and almost 200 Overwatch devs who each formed their own unions earlier this year.
The Diablo 4 PTR patch notes are here for Season 10's public test build, and Blizzard is looking to flip your builds upside down in the ARPG's new update. The new season will see us face off against Bartuc, Warlord of Blood, and claim 'chaos armor' that transforms some of the best uniques into items for other inventory slots, opening the door to previously impossible loadouts. Also included are a fresh set of 'chaos perks' to further expand your options, and a rework to the roguelike-adjacent Infernal Hordes mode.
RELATED LINKS:
Diablo 4 Season 10 release date
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Dev streams can be a bit of a slog to sit through at the best of times. Oftentimes I'm watching along, tuning in and out of needless yapping before realizing I've missed an important piece of information that I'd inevitably have to re-read in the patch notes later on. Diablo 4's Public Test Realm Campfires are one of the worst offenders, and players have consistently made it known that Blizzard's efforts aren't delivering the goods. The studio agrees, and has now canned its update livestreams until it can provide something more substantial in return for our watch hours.
RELATED LINKS:
Diablo 4 Season 10 release date
Diablo 4 boss leaves Blizzard after five-year stint
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