Diablo 4: How the ‘always-online’ system will work
Slaying online, staying online.
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While there’s still a lot left to learn about the world of Blizzard Entertainment’s hack-and-slash RPGDiablo 4, one of the more controversial elements is the confirmation that Diablo 4 uses an always-online world. The five regions that make up the game are always going to require an internet connection however, that doesn’t mean you have to play with others. Here’s what we know so far.
Diablo 4 is always online
WhenPC Gamer askedlead designer Joe Shely if it was possible to play Diablo 4 offline, he responded “There’s a large, seamless, connected, and shared space in the world, going down into dungeons, being able to group with your friends, trading and PvP. We feel that the best way to experience that is in a world that is online.”
PvPseemsto be opt-in,based on some commentsfrom Blizzard so far. When it comes to PvE, we do know there are world bosses that require multiple players to defeat. Aside from these world bosses however, you can set the dungeons to private and you don’t need to worry about other players wandering in your campaign mission areas. As such, Diablo 4 isn’t quite an MMO.
If you do choose to play the campaign with others, progress will be synced to the party host. This means you’ll be able to assist your friends in their campaign before going back to your own, or you can just play all the way through together. This could all add up to being one of the best Xbox RPGs available,ifeverything works.
Many Diablo players undoubtedly remember the disastrous launch of Diablo 3 and the infamous Error 37 screen. Hopefully Blizzard can avoid a repeat of that situation when Diablo 4 arrives.
Diablo 4 won’t release anytime soon
Diablo 4 does not have a release window, much less a release date, although Activision Blizzard has confirmed it won’t be released in 2021. As new updates are released, we’ll continue to cover them. Whenever Diablo 4 does eventually release, it’ll be available on Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4. No mention has been made yet of any next-generation console support but I’d be shocked if there weren’t enhancements for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PS5.
For information on the known classes in Diablo 4, you can check out theDruid Skill tree,Sorceress skill treeandBarbarian skill tree. We’ll be sure to provide updates if anything changes, as well as make skill tree guides for the two remaining classes when they are revealed.
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Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter@SamuelTolbert.
