Is Diablo 4 Dying?

Blizzard’s highly anticipated video game, “Diablo 4,” does not appear to be what fans expected. According to many players, the demise of this once-promising game can be attributed to alleged "corporate greed and incompetence".

Community Disappointment

Raxxanterax, a prominent content creator on Twitch and YouTube with over half a million followers combined, expressed his profound disappointment with Diablo 4. He finds it increasingly difficult to commit to the game.

Twitch streamer Asmongold, and many others quit Diablo 4 shortly after Season 1 launched in July. Their decision seems to have been justified by the fact that Blizzard appears to have lost its touch in creating engaging games. Diablo 4 serves as yet another example of this trend.

Recently, wudijo, a well-known Twitch streamer who primarily focuses on Diablo 4, has been exploring other games on his stream. He even played Diablo 3 instead.

Declining Interest and Viewership

Blizzard has refrained from sharing any official player base numbers for Diablo 4. However, by examining platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and Reddit, it becomes evident that interest in the game has significantly declined. YouTube views have plummeted, and content creators are no longer posting Diablo 4-related content as frequently. A recent Diablo 4 event in South Korea saw extremely low attendance, with nearly empty stands and barely 300 viewers at its peak.

Twitch viewership during peak EU/NA hours on September 25th was measured at a mere 778 views. This figure is disheartening, to say the least.

The Future - Not so Bleak?

The future of Diablo 4 may look promising to some, with the upcoming Season 2, “Season of Blood,” set to launch on October 17. This update promises to introduce five new and returning endgame bosses, updates to renown rewards, gem and stash storage, as well as resistance and status effects. Players will assume the role of a vampire hunter and gain vampiric powers, adding an exciting twist to the gameplay. The Season of Blood is expected to offer more challenging endgame content for players to tackle.

However, with the upcoming launch of Path of Exile 2 later this year, Diablo 4 faces the challenge of maintaining its player base. Given the significant overlap in their audiences, it is expected that a substantial number of Diablo 4 enthusiasts will shift their focus to Path of Exile 2, at least for a while.

Blizzard’s reputation has taken a hit with recent releases such as Warcraft 3 Reforged, Overwatch 2, and now Diablo 4. The company’s legendary touch appears to be fading without any signs of resurgence.