It’s been a year of ups and downs for Blizzard regardingDiablo 4from the hype around its release after over a decade since the last iteration to tangible disappointment over the mechanisms behind some of its seasons. However, the road has been anything but smooth. The very basis of its gameplay in level scaling has had its well-documented issues, and most recently, the March of the Goblins event meant to mark the first anniversary flew wide of the target in terms of expectations. For seasonal ARPGs likeDiablo 4, anniversaries are the best chance to draw flocks of fans back into their fantasy worlds, and Blizzard has to do better going forward in this area.
That’s not to say the developer hasn’t experienced plenty of positives in the one year sinceDiablo 4hit the streets. Even accounting for clear-cut forgettable struggles like Season 3, Loot Reborn changed the landscape for Blizzard with its success in May.Diablo 4hit an all-new milestonefor concurrent players on the Steam platform with Season 4’s revamped mechanics in crafting, itemization, and even stretching to improved drops in Helltides. However, the anniversary event effectively pumped the brakes on the momentum from Loot Reborn’s sizable forward strides. Plagued by issues ranging from accessibility to an underwhelming loot drop,Diablo 4missed a golden opportunity with March of the Goblins.
If there’s one thing anniversaries signal to players, it’s a time for rewards aplenty. Regardless of genre, whenever a full year rolls around, fans expect some special packages from developers to mark the occasion. With anARPG market leader likeDiablo 4, the feeling is amplified further, since the title is predicated on farming loot drops and leveling through XP. Unfortunately, Blizzard’s event to celebrateDiablo 4’s launch didn’t live up to standards, demanding considerable improvements to even qualify as a worthy seasonal experience.
For starters, withHelltides proving so popular, March of the Goblins needed to bring a unique flavor to the table to register as a special episode inDiablo 4’s meta. Blizzard could have done this by ramping up the amount of loot per goblin to a different level than players are used to in Sanctuary. Instead, March of the Goblins' treasure bags didn’t differ too starkly from ordinary loot drops—besides its 35% XP bump—which didn’t help the bonanza feel that is synonymous with anniversaries.
Future Diablo 4 Anniversaries Need an X-Factor in Content and Drops
Beyond sheer volume, developers tend to infuse rare materials in their anniversary loot to pique player interest. That goes beyond the traditional flurry of ordinary items with the odd legendary interjected; an event on the scale of March of the Goblins should ideally focus on increasing access to things likeStygian Stonesand Baleful Hearts. Blizzard opted for the traditional seasonal approach instead, which only muted the effect of its anniversary givings.
Considering that goblins aren’t necessarily new to theDiablouniverse (Diablo 4lacked the portals that madeDiablo 3’s version so successful), the combination of all these effects didn’t do the anniversary any favors in terms of content.
Additionally, it didn’t help that the event featured some eyebrow-raising bugs at launch. Goblins didn’t drop 925 gear at the start, and while hotfixes have rectified the issue, it exacerbated a feeling that the March of the Goblins anniversary theme didn’t live up to the bill. There have been hints thattreasure goblins will drop better loot by Season 5, but it’s not hard to see the novelty of their addition inDiablo 4wearing off by the time it rolls around. The best time to have nailed the mechanic is in the rearview mirror, and Blizzard can only look forward to ensuring a smoother campaign to celebrate the next landmark.
