Diablo 4 vs. Diablo 3: Blizzard Just Wants You Playing

With the launch of Diablo 4's first expansion, key developers are sharing their vision for the game and the broader Diablo franchise.

Blizzard's Goals with Diablo 4

Blizzard is committed to keeping Diablo 4 vibrant and engaging for the long haul, especially since it's their fastest-selling game to date. In a recent interview with VGC, Diablo series head Rod Fergusson and Diablo 4 executive producer Gavian Whishaw emphasized the importance of maintaining interest across all Diablo games. They see player engagement across Diablo 4, 3, 2, and even the original as a win-win for Blizzard.

"One of the things you’ll notice about Blizzard is that we tend not to turn any games off; it’s very rare. So you can still go play Diablo, Diablo 2, Diablo 2: Resurrected, and Diablo 3," Fergusson explained to VGC. "And so just people playing Blizzard games is awesome."

When asked about the competition between Diablo 4 and other entries in the series, Fergusson reassured that Blizzard is happy with players choosing any version of the game. "It’s not a problem that people are playing whatever version," he said. "That’s one of the things that’s been really exciting about Diablo 2: Resurrected; it has a very large fan base, which is a remaster of a 21-year-old game. So just having people in our ecosystem, playing and loving Blizzard games, is a huge positive."

Fergusson also highlighted that Blizzard encourages players to enjoy the game they prefer. While there may be financial incentives for players to move from Diablo 3 to Diablo 4, the company isn't focused on shifting players away from older games. "And whether they’re playing Diablo 4 today, or tomorrow, or whenever, the goal for us is to make the content and the features that are so desirable that people want to come and play Diablo 4," Fergusson noted. "And that’s why we continue to support things like Diablo 3 and Diablo 2; for us, it’s really a goal of 'let’s just make stuff that’s so appealing that people want to come play'."

Diablo 4 Prepares for Vessel of Hatred Expansion

Excitement is building for Diablo 4 players as the first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, is set to launch on October 8. The Diablo team has released a video detailing what players can expect from this new chapter.

The expansion introduces a new region called Nahantu, featuring new towns, dungeons, and ancient civilizations to explore. It also continues the game's storyline, with players delving into an ancient jungle to find Neyrelle, a pivotal character, and thwart the evil plans of Mephisto.