Diablo 4 got off to a relatively strong start in 2023, though much of the momentum for the game was lost with the release of its first seasonal update. Diablo 4 Season 1 was subject to immense scrutiny by fans for not only nerfing most of the builds in the game, but also making it a lot harder to acquire experience points. Blizzard Entertainment’s handling of the update was undeniably disappointing, but Diablo 4 was, at the very least, able to recover somewhat with its second season, which came out in October 2023. The post-launch support for Diablo 4 since then has been a bit of a mixed bag in terms of quality, but the game has mostly found its footing with the core ARPG audience.
Diablo 4‘s current and seventh season began in late January, but a new seasonal update for the game is already on the horizon. Blizzard revealed during a recent Campfire Chat livestream that Diablo 4‘s next season will focus primarily on revamping the game’s boss battles in order to make them easier and more accessible. Although Season 8 doesn’t have an official name yet, it’s supposed to go live sometime after April 29, 2025, the day that Season 7 ends. The timeframe that Diablo 4 Season 8 will be launched in is highly competitive, since there are several other ARPGs that are going to receive notable content updates in the same month.
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Diablo 4 Season 8 is Going to Face a Lot of Competition
Path of Exile 2 is Getting a New Content Update in the Same Month as Diablo 4
Grinding Gear Games’ popular Diablo-inspired early-access ARPG, Path of Exile 2, is about to get a sizable new patch on all platforms. The New Zealand-based developer confirmed on its social media accounts that the update, titled Dawn of the Hunt, will include a new Huntress class, a new endgame boss battle involving Tetzcal, the Blazing Guardian, and a weapon lock feature, among other things. Dawn of the Hunt is currently scheduled to be released on April 4, only a few days from now.
Path of Exile 2‘s patch is coming out less than a month before Diablo 4 Season 8’s launch. Considering that both of these games are isometric action RPGs that appeal to the same target audience, this may be a big concern for Blizzard’s hit game. Path of Exile 2‘s Dawn of the Hunt update could end up overshadowing Diablo 4‘s upcoming season. Many disgruntled Blizzard fans have already moved on to Grinding Gear Games’ latest RPG due to their gripes with Diablo 4, and this may exacerbate the problem.
Last Epoch Season 2 is Also Launching in April
Path of Exile 2 and Diablo 4 aren’t the only isometric ARPGs that are getting major new content updates next month because Eleventh Hour Games’ Last Epoch is receiving one, as well. Last Epoch‘s second upcoming seasonal update, officially named Tombs of the Erased, is going to introduce a new faction called the Woven, alongside some new endgame content and an overhaul of the Sentinel class. Last Epoch Season 2 was originally going to be released on April 2, just two days prior to the launch of Path of Exile 2‘s Dawn of the Hunt update. In order to make room for Path of Exile 2, however, Eleventh Hour Games recently postponed the season’s launch date to April 17, roughly two weeks later.
Diablo 4 Season 8 May Benefit from Being Delayed a Few Weeks
The fact that not one, not two, but three major isometric action RPGs are receiving large updates within a few weeks of each other is a surprise, but, from a developer’s standpoint, not necessarily a welcome one. Given how crowded the month appears to be, Diablo 4 Season 8 may have a hard time attracting as large an audience as it normally would. Even though it’s likely too late for Blizzard to change things, it may be in the company’s best interest to push the launch date for Diablo 4 Season 8 back a few weeks, just to give the game some much-needed space.
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.
This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
Action RPG
Hack and Slash
- Released
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June 6, 2023
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language