Summary
After an exciting first month,Diablo 4’s first season is finally here. Season of the Malignant brings with it a whole new story, new mechanics, countless tweaks, and the game’s first ever battle pass. While some of the changes have been very controversial, the seasonal content has mostly delivered. If this season is a success, then there will likely be loads moreDiablo 4seasons on the way, but Blizzard may need to change some things before it kicks off season two.
Not only does Blizzard need torectify some ofDiablo 4season one’s initial mistakes, but it also needs to remove a pretty large barrier. Anyone that wants to create a Season of the Malignant character must complete the main campaign first. While it makes sense that players should have a basic understanding of the lore and mechanics before jumping in, it also prevents newcomers from accessing the latest content right away. This approach could push possible players away and may hurt the game in the long run, but that could be avoided with one simple change.
RELATED:All New Diablo 4 Season 1 Uniques Explained
Diablo 4’s Seasons Should Be Accessible to Everyone
When new players boot upDiablo 4, they may want to check out the latest content that the game has to offer. The entire battle pass is tied to the seasonal structure, the newest mechanics are exclusive to seasonal characters, and the focus of the post-launch support seems to be on these seasons.Everything aboutDiablo 4seems to be centered around this concept, but players cannot check it out until they finish the story. While the main campaign is great, putting restrictions like this on players is not.
Diablo 4players should be allowed to choosehow they want to play the game from the get-go. If they want to start in the basicDiablo 4campaign then they should, but if they want to experience the game with the newest content then they should be able to choose that. They should not be forced to play through a version of the game that they do not want to. Not only will removing this choice limit the appeal of the game for new players, but it could also lead to some burn out among the playerbase.
Season of the Malignantis practically the same experience as the mainDiablo 4campaign with a couple new additions and mechanics. The core gameplay is identical, the world of Sanctuary has very few changes, and nothing about it requires previous knowledge. While veteran players will be able to jump into this new mode right away, newcomers are forced to level up a different character before they access the new content. After spending hours grinding out the story, they may not want to do it all over again just to unlock some cosmetics. They may also run out of time before the season ends and will be forced to wait for the next season instead.
While the Season of the Malignant questline may take place afterthe fall of Lilith, that does not mean players should be forced to finish the campaign before jumping in. It would make sense if the campaign was locked to the base game, but season one characters can still playthrough it. This makes the decision to lock the seasons behind a restriction seem strange, and it is something that should not be carried over to the next one. If Blizzard wants an easy win after a controversial update, then simply lifting this restriction may help anyone looking to take the leap into Sanctuary.
Diablo 4is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
