Tag: diablo 4

Microsoft Announces 4 Xbox Exclusives for PS5 and Nintendo Switch, Activision Blizzard Titles on Game Pass

Four Microsoft first-party games will launch on Sony’s PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch, the company confirmed late Thursday after weeks of speculation over its exclusive titles releasing on rival platforms. The announcement came on the Official Xbox Podcast from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, who also shed further light on the reasons behind Xbox’s business decision and confirmed that the next generation of Xbox consoles were in development. Microsoft has not yet revealed the four Xbox exclusives coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, but The Verge reported that said games would be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves and Grounded.

Spencer addressed the rumours about Microsoft first-party titles and the future of Xbox exclusivity head on, confirming that contrary to reports, Triple-A Bethesda releases like Starfield and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will remain as Xbox and PC exclusives. “We’ve made the decision that we’re going to take four games to the other consoles, just four games,” the Xbox chief on the podcast. He confirmed that Xbox won’t be fundamentally changing its exclusives strategy, explaining the decision to port the four unnamed games over to rival consoles. “We think this is an interesting point in time for us to use what some of the other platforms have right now to help grow our franchises,” he said.

While Spencer refrained from naming the four Xbox exclusive titles slated for launch on PS5 and Nintendo Switch, a report from The Verge, citing sources privy to Microsoft’s plans, claimed that these would be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of the Thieves and Grounded. The first three of these were previously reported to be coming to Sony and Nintendo’s platforms, too. There are no specific release dates or launch windows for these games, but Spencer said that their respective developers have plans for announcements that are “not too far away.”

Hi-Fi Rush has been rumoured to come to PS5 and Nintendo Switch
Photo Credit: Bethesda

The Xbox chief, however, did elaborate on the process of picking the four yet confirmed games for multi-platform transition. The company considered games released over a year ago that have been on Xbox and PC for a while. Two of the selected games are community-driven games, Spencer said, while the other two are smaller games that weren’t built to be platform exclusives. “As they’ve realised their potential on Xbox and PC, we see an opportunity to utilise the other platforms as a place to just drive more business value out of those games, allowing us to maybe invest in future iterations of those, or sequels to those, or just other games like that in our portfolio,” Spencer said. “And we don’t damage Xbox and we can grow our business using what other platforms have to help us with that. We’re gonna do that.”

Spencer, however, cautioned players on rival platforms that the change in Microsoft’s strategy did not mean that all or several Xbox exclusives going forward would arrive on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. No other games besides the four already confirmed titles are currently being considered for a multi-platform launch.

In the wide-ranging podcast, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty also reiterated that Game Pass would only be available on Xbox on PC. Additionally, Xbox president Sarah Bond also announced that Activision-Blizzard games would soon arrive on Xbox Game Pass, starting with Diablo IV on March 28. Microsoft acquired Call of Duty maker Activision-Blizzard late last year in $69 billion deal after a long running regulatory battle with the US’ Federal Trade Commission and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. Bond also confirmed that Xbox Game Pass had reached 34 million subscribers.

Reports from earlier this month about Microsoft first-party games making their way to PS5 and Nintendo Switch had left the Xbox community unsettled, with many questioning the future of the platform. Major exclusives like Bethesda RPG Starfield and the recently announced Indiana Jones game were reported to be under consideration for a PS5 launch.

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PlayStation Black Friday Sale 2023: God of War Ragnarök, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Resident Evil 4, More

PlayStation launched its annual Black Friday Sale, late last week, offering discounts of up to 70 percent on key titles on the PS4 and PS5. The promotion is live across some first, but largely third-party releases, and is slated to end November 28 on the digital storefront. God of War Ragnarök is a standout among the catalogue, available at a 38 percent discount for Rs. 3,099, tasking Kratos and Atreus on a journey to the Nine Realms to prevent the prophesied apocalypse. PS Plus Premium/ Deluxe members also get a three-hour free trial period, in case you feel like testing the waters. Those who only own an old-gen PS4, however, can opt for the dedicated version at Rs. 2,279.

Meanwhile, its prequel God of War’s Digital Deluxe Edition will set you back by Rs. 999 at a 50 percent discount. The Last of Us Part I, a remake of the beloved post-apocalyptic zombie-killing game, at is available at Rs. 3,099 (38 percent off) for the PS5 — its sequel hasn’t received a discount. And of course, you can reach out to local retailers to acquire a physical copy of the same, which costs Rs. 2,499. In the same undead vein, you could also pick up Resident Evil 4 remake and step into the shoes of pretty-boy cop Leon S. Kennedy as he ventures into a ghoulish Spanish village to rescue the President’s daughter from bizarre cultists. It is available at a 43 percent discount for Rs. 2,279.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review

The newest Assassin’s Creed title also makes it way its way to the Black Friday sale. After three open-world RPG focussed titles, Ubisoft has taken a back-to-basics approach with the franchise in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, set in ninth-century Baghdad with a focus on stealth and crafty assassinations. Released last month, AC Mirage is listed at Rs. 2,799 after a 20 percent price drop.

Fighting game fans have two choices to pick from — Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1. The former takes a vibrant turn, adding some RPG elements into the mix akin to the Persona games and a career-forming story mode that’s reminiscent of Yakuza. Street Fighter 6 also adds a Modern Control pattern, bridging the gap between old schoolers and newbies to the genre — the standard edition costs Rs. 2,239 after a 44 percent discount. Conversely, Mortal Kombat 1 marks another reboot of the franchise, after Liu Kang achieved godhood and altered the timeline to ensure peace in the lands. It’s listed for Rs. 3,359 — 30 percent off — and is perfect for those who enjoy some super-cool cinematics to go along with their fatal combos.

Speaking of cinematics, Final Fantasy XVI is also on sale, with its narrative-driven action RPG experience offering ability-based combat and slick cutscenes. The game tosses you into the war-torn lands of Valisthea to prevent the source of all magic, Aether, from fading away, by engaging in large-scale cinematic Eikon battles that ditch the franchise’s long-running turn-based combat. FF16 goes up for Rs. 2,879.

Final Fantasy XVI Review

Harry Potter fans could step into the enchanted hallways of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and tap into ancient magic while juggling between responsibilities like attending classes, exploring the dense Forbidden Forest, crafting potions, and fighting Dark Wizards. Hogwarts Legacy is up for Rs. 2,399 on the PS4 and Rs. 2,639 on the PS5. The Black Friday discounts will please Star Wars fans, too, who can continue Jedi Knight Cal Kestis’ story and take on the oppressive Empire in the acclaimed souls-like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor for Rs. 2,699. For a more authentic souls-like experience, you could consider picking up the recently released Lies of P, where you take control of Pinocchio in a twisted Belle Epoque setting to rid the gothic town of Krat from pestilence. The game comes in at Rs. 3,039 on both PS4 and PS5 after discount.

Sports fans can get their annual dose of arcade football experience through EA Sports FC 24 at Rs. 2,249, or pick up NBA 2K24, the latest entry in the acclaimed basketball series, at Rs. 2,499.

PlayStation Summer Sale 2023: best deals on PS4 and PS5 games

God of War Digital Deluxe Edition at Rs. 999 — 50 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

God of War Ragnarök at Rs. 3,099 — 38 percent discount (NEW LOW)

The Last of Us Part I at Rs. 3,099 — 38 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor at Rs. 2,699 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Review

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered at Rs. 2,319 — 42 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales at Rs. 1,999 — 50 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Hogwarts Legacy (PS5) at Rs. 2,639 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Red Dead Redemption 2 at Rs. 1,320 — 67 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Assassin’s Creed Mirage at Rs. 2,799 — 20 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

EA Sports FC 24 at Rs. 2,249 — 50 percent discount (NEW LOW)

EA Sports FC 24 Review

NBA 2K24 Kobe Bryant Edition (PS5) at Rs. 2,499 — 50 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition at Rs. 749 — 75 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Resident Evil 4 at Rs. 2,279 — 43 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Horizon Forbidden West at Rs. 2,639 — 34 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Diablo IV at Rs. 3,359 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Lies of P at Rs. 3,039 — 20 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

Disco Elysium – The Final Cut at Rs. 999 — 70 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade at Rs. 1,139 — 62 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Mortal Kombat 1 Review

Final Fantasy XVI at Rs. 2,879 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Mortal Kombat 1 at Rs. 3,359 — 30 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

Street Fighter 6 at Rs. 2,239 — 44 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

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Steam Autumn Sale 2023 Best Deals: Starfield, Diablo IV, Cyberpunk 2077, Dark Souls Trilogy, and More

The 2023 Steam Autumn Sale is now live, bringing new and returning deals on PC games. The event is live for a week, running until November 28 at 10:30pm IST, slashing prices by up to 85 percent on select titles. Blizzard’s Diablo IV, which recently came to Valve’s storefront, has gotten a 40 percent discount — Rs. 3,359 — tossing you into the hellish landscape of the Sanctuary to battle bloodthirsty monsters as a legendary horned demon Lilith, Queen of the Succubi comes into power. Lacklustre post-launch content has tarnished this game’s reputation, so why not give it a test run with the six-day-long free trial? Bethesda’s expansive space RPG Starfield has also received a first discount, setting you centuries into the future where humanity has begun thriving on other planets. It’s available at Rs. 3,999 at a 20 percent discount.

PlayStation Studios’ entire catalogue is part of the promotion as well, including The Last of Us Part I, which drops down to Rs. 2,679 (33 percent off) despite the lingering issues with visual fidelity and performance even at lower graphical presets.

Starfield Review

The acclaimed God of War 2019 reboot, in which a now-reserved Kratos and his son Atreus set off on a treacherous journey through Nordic lands to scatter his wife’s ashes from the highest peak in the nine realms. It’s available at 40 percent off for Rs. 1,979. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, a package of two games — Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy — is available at the same price, too, letting you pick between Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer’s adventures in the wild. And it might be a couple of years before Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 comes to PC, but if you still haven’t caught up on Peter Parker and Miles Morales’ saga, then now’s the perfect time. Spider-Man Remastered is priced at Rs. 2,399, while its shorter spinoff sequel costs Rs. 1,979.

FromSoftware fans, who were drawn in through the studio’s recent titles Elden Ring and Armored Core VI games, can take a trip down memory lane with the Dark Souls trilogy. It is worth mentioning that publisher Bandai Namco has upped Dark Souls Remastered’s base price, so with a 50 percent discount, it’s now listed at Rs. 1,199 — the original price tag until July 2023. Its sequels have not undergone a price increase, with Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin costing Rs. 1,199 and Dark Souls III at Rs. 2,149 — both at 50 percent off, with DLCs/ Season Pass to purchase separately. Meanwhile, the Pinocchio-inspired souls-like title, Lies of P, has received its first price drop, down from Rs. 3,700 to Rs. 2,960. This is the closest a PC gamer would come towards experiencing Bloodborne, and to that effect, it delivers gracefully with a haunting atmosphere and bone-chilling boss designs. Another major souls-like Lords of the Fallen is also on sale at a 34 percent discount for Rs. 1,979, though be wary of persistent performance issues.

Cyberpunk 2077 Review

If open-world is your jam, then Red Dead Redemption 2 is a no-brainer — a 67 percent discount, taking the price down to Rs. 1,055. Or you can delve into the futuristic Blade Runner-esque world of Cyberpunk 2077, available at Rs. 1,499, excluding the Phantom Liberty expansion. That additional content hasn’t received a price drop, but you can opt for an inclusive bundle that costs Rs. 2,758. Those looking for a more contained experience can check out Dave the Diver, a cutesy pixelated roguelike about catching fish and serving them at the local sushi shop. It costs Rs. 704 after a 20 percent price cut.

Steam Autumn Sale 2023 best PC game deals

Red Dead Redemption 2 at Rs. 1,055 — 67 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Starfield at Rs. 3,999 — 20 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

Cyberpunk 2077 at Rs. 1,499 — 50 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Diablo IV at Rs. 3,359 — 40 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

Diablo IV Review

Dark Souls Remastered at Rs. 1,199 — 50 percent discount (LOWER DISCOUNT THAN BEFORE)

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin at Rs. 1,199 — 50 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Dark Souls III at Rs. 2,149 — 50 percent discount (LOWER DISCOUNT THAN BEFORE)

Lies of P at Rs. 2,960 — 20 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice at Rs. 2,498 — 50 percent discount (LOWER DISCOUNT THAN BEFORE)

Lords of the Fallen at Rs. 1,979 — 34 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

Disco Elysium – The Final Cut at Rs. 224 — 75 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

God of War at Rs. 1,979 — 40 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

The Last of Us Part I at Rs. 2,679 — 33 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

Spider-Man Remastered PC Review

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered at Rs. 2,399 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales at Rs. 1,979 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection at Rs. 1,979 — 40 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor at Rs. 2,099 — 40 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Review

Stasis: Bone Totem at Rs. 616 — 30 percent discount (LOWER DISCOUNT THAN BEFORE)

Resident Evil 2 at Rs. 500 — 75 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Resident Evil 3 at Rs. 585 — 75 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Resident Evil 4 at Rs. 2,375 — 34 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Resident Evil 4 Review

Batman: Arkham Collection at Rs. 202 — 85 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

EA Sports FC 24 at Rs. 1,749 — 50 percent discount (FIRST DISCOUNT)

Dead Space at Rs. 1,499 — 50 percent discount (NEW LOW)

Persona 4 Golden at Rs. 1,082 — 35 percent discount (LOWER DISCOUNT THAN BEFORE)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition at Rs. 312 — 75 percent discount (LOWER DISCOUNT THAN BEFORE)

Dave the Diver at Rs. 704 — 20 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Grand Theft Auto V at Rs. 953 — 64 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Hogwarts Legacy at Rs. 2,399 — 40 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Hogwarts Legacy Review

Hades at Rs. 550 — 50 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

Devil May Cry 5 at Rs. 577 — 67 percent discount (PREVIOUS BEST)

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Xbox Game Pass Will Not Include Activision Games Like Call of Duty Until 2024, Phil Spencer Explains Why

Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard games won’t appear on Xbox Game Pass until next year. On the Official Xbox Podcast, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer claimed that players wouldn’t be seeing a big drop of those titles immediately, due to the lengthy regulatory challenges the company faced in its buyout attempt. Since it was uncertain whether the acquisition would be approved by Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) until recently, Xbox wasn’t able to do the groundwork for adding the catalogue to their gaming subscription service. Ahead of the deal’s closure, Activision Blizzard confirmed on Twitter that the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and newly-launched Diablo IV won’t be coming to Game Pass soon, but Spencer’s statement covers older titles as well.

This is in stark contrast from Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media, where just two days after the buyout, 20 Bethesda back catalogue games, including franchises like Fallout, DOOM, Dishonored, and more were flooded onto Game Pass — free to play for members. “So now that the deal is closed, we’re starting that work. But there is work,” Spencer said on the podcast, attesting that Activision Blizzard’s tweet is ‘accurate’ in terms of the 2024 timeline. He further assured that there’s no ‘secret celebration drop’ coming in the next few weeks, while acknowledging that fans have the right to be disappointed about it. It’s a long-term acquisition though, granting Xbox a lot of time to experiment with the average gamer’s ever-growing needs, and to that effect, Phil states that he’s excited about the future.

The elephant in the room, of course, is Call of Duty. Spencer reiterated on the same podcast that the franchise will maintain ‘100 percent parity’ across all platforms, including PlayStation for a 10-year duration. The acquisition shouldn’t cause other players to miss out on exclusive content or timing, which is something the Blue team took advantage of by granting early access to multiplayer beta and an exclusive operator called Lockpick this time. The bundle will be available only to those who pre-order Modern Warfare 3 on PS4 and PS5 for a year, until November 9, 2024. That said, Spencer said that there could be some performance and resolution changes depending on the platform. Baldur’s Gate 3’s Xbox port is an example, where the developers are unable to include split-screen coop on the lower-end Xbox Series S due to technical limitations. However, the in-game content is expected to remain the same (at the time of writing).

“We have no goal of somehow trying to use Call of Duty to get you to buy an Xbox console,” he said, adding that he doesn’t think making platform exclusive beta weekends helps players. The regulatory process for Activision Blizzard acquisition took more than a year, thanks to the US FTC stepping in to express concerns that Microsoft’s $69 billion (about Rs. 5,74,528 crore) deal was anti-competitive and that it had plans to make Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox. During those court proceedings, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan also claimed that a bunch of video game publishers he’d been speaking to unanimously agreed that Xbox Game Pass was ‘value destructive.’

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Diablo IV Is Headed to Steam This Month, Just in Time for the Vampire-Themed Season 2

Diablo IV is coming to Steam, merely four months after its multi-platform launch. The devilish loot RPG is headed to Valve’s game storefront on October 17, keeping with creator Blizzard’s promise to bring more of its PC catalogue to the commonly preferred choice of platform. You see, all PC games from Blizzard are restricted to its proprietary Battle.net launcher, making it a nuisance for players to jump between and log into different accounts. It’s a hot topic among the community, who’d much rather have their entire library on Steam, for easy access. The free-to-play shooter Overwatch 2 was the first to break this tradition in August, albeit that ended poorly.

The Steam version is now available for wishlisting, and owners will be required to link/ connect Diablo 4 to a Battle.net account, enabling cross-platform play and cross-progression. That said, the game can be launched natively and there’s no need for you to keep Blizzard’s app installed on your PC. The arrival also brings the niceties of unlockable achievements, alongside smooth access to the Steam friend list, so you can invite others for co-op demon-killing sessions. For now, there is no word on whether existing owners of the game will be getting a discount on their Steam purchase, but the store page listing does feature three editions — Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate — same as the initial launch. During the developer update live stream, held late Wednesday, the team noted that the dungeon-crawler is playable on the Steam Deck, though they never went into the specifics of graphical settings.

Diablo 4’s arrival on Steam coincides with the upcoming season 2 content, titled ‘Season of Blood,’ granting you vampiric powers to storm through the lands of Sanctuary. The update will introduce a new questline, pairing you with the crossbow-wielding vampire hunter Erys, voiced by Gemma Chan (The Eternals), as you investigate a string of bloodied murders and the Dark Master responsible for it. More importantly, players can access the season 2 content right after completing the Missing Pieces prologue quest, essentially skipping the campaign to fulfil their blood-sucking desires. The update also vastly improves the endgame progression by increasing XP gains after level 50, faster by up to 40 percent. Expect five new endgame bosses, a general balance of skills, and faster mounts for traversal.

As mentioned before, Overwatch 2 was the first Blizzard PC game to make a jump to Steam, with the publisher promising that it plans on bringing over more titles. The shooter’s arrival was instantly blasted with negative reviews, making it the worst-reviewed game on the platform. At the time of writing, it’s got an ‘Overwhelmingly Negative’ review score, due to players’ dissatisfaction with the battle pass system and the cancellation of its long-promised PvE mode. Diablo IV, on the other hand, was received well at launch but slowly fell off with season 1’s release that made the game incredibly unfun to grind. Hopefully, fate doesn’t repeat itself this time.

Diablo IV is headed to Steam on October 17. It is already available to play on PC via Battle.net, in addition to console through PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

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Diablo IV Gets Hefty Pre-Season Patch, Upsetting the Community; Blizzard to Address Concerns in Live Stream

Diablo IV’s much-awaited season 1 update is almost upon us and ahead of that, Blizzard has rolled out a new patch for preparation. The hefty 8GB patch 1.1.0a brings a range of balance changes, fixes some bugs, and adds unique items, in addition to making permanent upgrades such as Altars of Lilith unlocks available account-wide when starting as a new character. For the uninitiated, ‘Season of the Malignant’ is set after the events of the main campaign, once you’ve defeated Lilith and unravelled the Tree of Whispers. Diablo 4 season 1 goes live tonight at 10:30pm IST in India/ July 20 at 10am PT in the US, across PC and consoles.

The Sorcerer class — spell-based — has been hit with the biggest nerf in Diablo IV season 1, with the Devouring Blaze ability’s bonus critical damage getting reduced from 10/20/30 percent to 7/14/21 percent. A unique characteristic of this ability is that the damage bonus is increased when enemies are immobilised, though it seems like Blizzard has delivered a blow to it as well. The damage numbers have now been reduced from 25/50/75 percent to 10/20/30 percent. Essentially, all classes have been nerfed, causing the Diablo IV community to be furious, one of whom expressed their frustration on the official subreddit, which at the time of writing stands at 23,600 upvotes. You can check out the entire list of Diablo IV’s latest patch notes on the official website.

Diablo IV Review

The new season was supposed to kickstart a side saga in Sanctuary — a plague that slowly spreads around, turning all living beings into bloodthirsty fiends. When the new content was announced, the developers claimed that by collecting Malignant Hearts from these beings, players would be able to create overpowered “stupid, new broken” builds that let them storm through the map, in a quest that serves the new character Cormand. However, every decision listed in the pre-season patch seems to slow down your character’s progression significantly. The Barbarian class’ Hamstring (bleed) skill now only slows down Healthy enemies, while the Necromancer’s Splintering Aspect Bone Shard damage has been reduced from the original 50–100 percent to 30–60 percent.

“We have observed that the experience bonus rewarded for killing higher level monsters escalates too fast when compared to the relative challenge involved,” a developer note from the patch note reads, essentially slowing down the progression system. During pre-season, besting a monster that’s one level higher grants a +15 percent bonus, going up to +25 percent upon killing enemies that are three levels or more above you. For those playing Diablo 4 on Nightmare difficulty (World Tier III), Helltide events have been made slower, starting with an increase in monster difficulty. The spawning demons would now be three levels higher than your character instead of two, while the Tortured Gift of Mysteries chest’s cost has increased from 175 to 250 Aberrant Cinders. In a hotfix, the studio fixed the reduced drop rate of Abberant Cinders in Helltide, which it claims was originally ‘lower than intended.’

Seeing the community backlash, Blizzard has decided to address it all in a Campfire Chat live stream session, set for Friday, July 21 at 11:30pm IST/ 11am PT in the US. The session will be streamed on the official Diablo YouTube channel, though I wouldn’t expect to see any immediate changes to the new features that make Diablo IV gameplay a ‘slog.’ Elsewhere, Adam Fletcher, community director, confirmed that Blizzard will be removing the level requirement for World Tier 3 (40) and World Tier 4 (60) that were introduced in the pre-season patch.

Diablo IV is out on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

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Diablo IV Season 1 Release Date Set for July 20: Malignant Quest Line, Broken Builds, More

Diablo IV’s much-awaited season 1 update will release July 20, nearly a month-and-a-half since the game debuted to rave reviews. Dubbed ‘Season of the Malignant,’ the update was shown off during a developer live stream, held early Friday, detailing new quests, items, and further focus on its battle pass. As the title suggests, the upcoming season introduces a brand-new questline where the realm of Sanctuary is slowly getting corrupted by a plague, turning all living things into Malignant Monsters with new powers. The chapter is set after Diablo 4’s main campaign where you bested Lilith, Daughter of Hatred, to rid Sanctuary of evil, and serves as a side story within the open world. The season starts at 10:30pm IST/ 10am PT.

As a festering curse widens its reach across Diablo IV’s Sanctuary, the player will be summoned back to Kyovashad at level 1 to meet a new character Cormand, a former priest from the Cathedral of Light, who assigns us the new task of ripping the infected hearts out the Malignant creatures and using them to raise our power. Elite monsters you find in the world have a chance of spawning as a Malignant version, who upon defeat, drops an exposed Malignant Heart. You can interact with this item to start a ritual that spawns an even more powerful version of the elite enemy, surrounded by a group of corrupted mobs. Once you kill that — yeah, it’s double the work — you earn a Caged Heart, which essentially functions like a gem that can be slotted into rings or amulets to tremendously boost your power. It’s a way for you to create “stupid, new broken builds” that the developers hope are rightfully balanced.

Diablo IV Review

During Diablo IV’s season 1, all ring and amulet drops will come with coloured sockets — red, blue, or yellow — that will only accept similarly coloured hearts’ powers. You cannot pair a red heart in a blue socket, as the game directs players to look for specific colours of items. Maybe if you’re lucky enough on your hunt, you will uncover a mysterious fourth colour of heart, which can be socketed onto any jewellery. There are a total of 32 Malignant Heart powers to collect, albeit you will run into even stronger versions of those as you keep playing the game. Any old, now useless hearts can then be broken down into crafting material that can be used to create Invokers. These can be used once you finish the Diablo IV season 1 campaign, at a Malignant Tunnel, where you can hunt for guaranteed hearts. Remember: Malignant Hearts are quite rare when looking for in the overworld.

The season 1 journey will be spread across seven chapters, each with its own set of objectives and rewards, by way of new items and Favor. The latter is crucial to progressing Diablo 4’s battle pass by helping you unlock rewards — the more Favor you earn, the more tiers you unlock. It is also worth mentioning that there are two kinds of battle passes here — a free tier where everyone can earn in-game boosts and a paid Premium Tier, where the rewards are all cosmetics. Upon launch, Diablo IV merely featured an in-game shop that simply contained skins, with the game never luring you to buy any of them. Hopefully, the trend continues as Blizzard Entertainment focuses on expanding the game in the years to come. The studio already has two expansions in active development.

Diablo IV is out on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

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Diablo IV Already Has Two Expansions in Active Development, Blizzard Confirms

Diablo IV has just launched across all platforms, but that hasn’t stopped developer Blizzard from expanding its legacy. In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, general manager Rod Fergusson confirmed that the studio already has two expansions in development. “As I sit here we’re about to launch the main game, we’re finishing up season one, we’re working on season two, we’re working on expansion one” he said, adding that development on the second major expansion was about to kick off. Diablo IV was designed keeping a live-service format in mind, substantial content will be added over time in seasons. This is a big upgrade compared to Diablo III’s model, released 11 years ago, which was left abandoned over that time.

In an earlier interview with IGN, Fergusson mentioned that Diablo IV’s expansions will feature narrative questlines, with some “richer context” being added around a season’s release, which will also follow a theme, resulting in new cosmetics and gameplay mechanics tailored toward it. The narrative itself will not extend the main campaign in any way and merely serves as extra stories set within the game’s open world. “Because that’s the nice thing about the world is that there are lots of stories you can still tell without having it be the Lilith/ Inarius story,” he said, at the time. In comparison, both Diablo II and Diablo III received one big expansion each, albeit continued support was provided through patches and content updates. The team plans to update Diablo IV for years, even introducing a battle pass that would simply contain cosmetic items.

Currently, Diablo 4 is in its pre-season stage, bringing in a shop with limited inventory for purchase. As season one rolls in, players can expect the battle pass and an even fuller shop that’s aligned towards a theme. The in-game shop is also touted to have an intelligence system behind it, which would largely recommend items based on whatever class you’re playing. The pre-season period will function as a testing period for that, as the team continues working on the major update.

Last week, Blizzard upped the stakes for Diablo IV’s more competitive player base, promising to immortalise the first 1,000 players to reach level 100 on Hardcore mode by engraving their names/ battle tags onto a statue of Lilith. Currently, there’s no word on where the statue will be kept or what they will be doing with it, but I’m assuming it’s in the main headquarters. For the uninitiated, the Hardcore Mode is basically a permadeath mode where your character gets deleted upon death, forcing you to recreate and start from the very beginning. The difficulty is also quite high on this one.

Back in May, the company also highlighted Diablo 4’s endgame progression, which is meant to keep the game enjoyable, long after the main campaign is done. You’ve got a Capstone Dungeon that lets you do repeated runs — in rising difficulties — as a means to collect a whole variety of loot and continue getting stronger. Nightmare Dungeons also return, letting you choose one out of 120+ dungeons in the Sanctuary and turn it into a harsher playfield. These can be activated by finding a Nightmare Sigil, which adds difficult objectives, increased enemy count, and portals that toss in monsters from other realms.

Diablo IV is out now on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

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Diablo IV Gets Horrific Live-Action Trailer Directed by Oscar-Winner Chloé Zhao

Diablo IV just got a gothic horror-themed live-action trailer, ahead of its release on June 6. The latest ad campaign, dubbed ‘Saviors Wanted,’ is shot by Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) and co-directed by Kiku Ohe, capturing the fear and conflict plaguing the lands of the Sanctuary. In this twisted place brimming with monsters, the High Heavens and Burning Hells wage destructive battles, leaving its inhabitants in turmoil. Diablo 4 officially went gold, late last month, suggesting that it is ready for shipping; and more recently, underwent a Server Slam open beta event where the Legendary loot drops were adjusted to reflect the day one version.

The live-action trailer for Diablo IV essentially serves as a tour of tragedy, starting with a wide shot of an aged man mourning over a stretch of dead horses in the icy tundras of Sanctuary. “Whatever you can do. We beg you,” he pleads, turning to the camera — essentially speaking to the players who would save their lands from ruin. It then continues cutting back and forth between cries for help from other poor unfortunate souls and epic shots of our heroes fending themselves against hordes of demons. The heroes, of course, represent the five classes in Diablo IV — Barbarian, Sorcerer, Druid, Rogue, and the new Necromancer, who can summon and command corpses to perform their bidding. The trailer ends with a shot of Lilith, the Queen of the Succubi, emerging from the skies — waging war against her bitter enemy angel Inarius and in the process, rule over Sanctuary once more.

“Working with Blizzard, we had the wonderful opportunity to bring the dark, thrilling and imaginative world of Diablo IV to life,” Zhao said in a prepared statement. “Diablo fans are very passionate, and many have been with the game for over two decades. We want to do right by the fans, honour the game’s rich lore and visceral world-building while evoking the strong emotions the players feel while immersing in the game.” As mentioned before, Zhao won the Oscar for directing 2020’s Nomadland, which also bagged an award for Best Picture and Best Actress (Frances McDormand), that year. The filmmaker then branched into blockbusters like Marvel’s Eternals and is now attached to direct an adaptation of Hamnet, which imagines the story of Agnes, William Shakespeare’s wife.

Last month, Blizzard Entertainment detailed Diablo 4’s endgame progression, noting how it plans to keep you hooked for hundreds of hours after the main story is done. It begins with a Capstone Dungeon that lets you do repeated runs — in rising difficulties — so you can collect a whole variety of loot and continue getting stronger. Nightmare Dungeons are returning as well, letting you pick one out of 120+ dungeons in the Sanctuary and turn it into a harsher playfield. These can be activated by finding a Nightmare Sigil, which adds difficult objectives, increased enemy count, and portals that pour out monsters from other realms. Unfortunately, you have no control over when the portals open up, so be prepared.

Diablo IV releases June 6 on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. Early access for Deluxe and Ultimate edition pre-orders begin on June 2 in India/ June 1 in the US.

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Diablo IV Open Beta Begins in March, Blizzard Confirms: Details

Diablo IV is getting a pair of beta test sessions next month. As per developer Blizzard, those who pre-ordered the title gain early access from March 17–19, granting a deeper look into the early game, which includes the Prologue and Act 1. In the following week, from March 24–26, all players can participate in the open beta period and experience the might of the Burning Hells, albeit levelling will be capped off at 25. The upcoming Diablo 4 also bears a battle pass system focused on cosmetics and is slated to release June 6 on PC and consoles.

Both beta periods will offer a first taste of the Diablo IV campaign, as players will get to explore the snowy tundras of the Fractured Peaks and face numerous demons prowling in the dark. While there is no specific mention of how long this region will take to clear, Blizzard claims that Act 1 content will be present in its entirety. Though, since it’s a beta, better expect minor performance issues and outages. All feedback collected from the open beta periods will be evaluated to make final tweaks for when the game launches. During IGN’s Fan Fest event, the studio also dropped a cinematic that served as a peek into the secluded, icy ranges, on which a custom-created weary traveller stumbles onto a mysterious, bloodthirsty foe. Blizzard also iterated that any progress made during the beta will not be carried over to the full purchase.

According to IGN, any custom character you create will be featured in multiple cinematics in exact likeness, depending on what cosmetics and appearance you set in the character creator screen. As stated before, Diablo 4 includes a battle pass system, covering a variety of clothing choices, tattoos, weapons, hairstyles, and emotes. However, it is divided into two parts: Free and Premium. The former is open to all and provides gameplay boosts to all players, depending on what challenges you complete. The Premium version costs $10 (about Rs. 827) worth of in-game currency and is solely focused on aesthetics. That said, Blizzard hasn’t revealed if one could use any gameplay-unlocked currency to purchase further versions of the battle pass.

These items can be unlocked within three months since they first show up on the battle pass, after which Diablo IV begins its new season. This implies that each season will run for three months — a fairly common practice. The latest instalment in the Diablo franchise also adds a new Necromancer class, wherein players can summon and command corpses to perform evil deeds on its vast, semi-open-world map and face demons such as Lilith, the Queen of the Succubi.

Diablo IV releases June 6 on PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. The beta will be accessible across all platforms.

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