Path of Exile 2 Early Access has been a resounding success, peaking at 578k concurrent players and still retaining an impressive 225k over a month since launch. As a Diablo fan, I’ve often wondered how Path of Exile 2’s arrival would impact my favorite ARPG. With Season 7 of Diablo 4 on the horizon, how the competition will work between the two games is becoming increasingly clear, clearer than ever since last night's Diablo 4 developer stream.
While Path of Exile 2 is leaning into its more complex and hardcore appeal, Diablo 4 is doubling down on its efforts to cater to a casual audience. Season 7 introduces several changes aimed at helping casual players reach endgame more efficiently—a smart move for Blizzard, and here’s why.
The Diablo 4 audience is more casual than you think
I consider myself a casual Diablo 4 player. I’m not a streamer or a high-level content creator. I don’t push top-tier Pit levels, nor do I max out multiple characters every season. But I do play consistently, completing my Season Journey within two weeks on average, usually pocketing some Mythic Uniques along the way.
For most Diablo 4 players, this isn’t the norm. Many log in for just an hour or two after work, taking one to two months to finish their Season Journey—and that’s perfectly fine. From the messages I receive, it’s clear a lot of players aren’t following optimized build guides or min-maxing their gear to handle Torment 4. Instead, they’re enjoying the game at their own pace, and Diablo 4 is designed to support both them and players like me.
In last night's Season 7 developer chat, it was clearer than ever that Blizzard is drilling down its efforts to cater to this casual audience, with a few key changes:
- Early chapters of the Season Journey have been reworked to help casual players hit endgame faster.
- Seasonal Paragon points will now carry over to Eternal characters, ensuring that consistent gameplay rewards even the most time-strapped players.
- Archetype Caches have been added, offering build-specific rewards like “Pyromancer Sorceress” gear.
- Feedback from the PTR has led to simplified elements of the Season of Witchcraft mechanics, explicitly aimed at new players.
Throughout the stream, the developers emphasized their desire to make gameplay less overwhelming for those new to the game. This shift in messaging and tone hasn’t gone unnoticed, with community figures like Rhykker discussing these changes in depth.
Diablo 4 has tried different approaches and this is what works
Since its 2022 launch, Diablo 4 has gone through an identity crisis, trying to balance nostalgia for Diablo 2 with the demands of a modern live-service game. A quote from Rod Fergusson in a 2024 interview I did stands out as particularly relevant, and has been dragged up recently in these discussions:
"When you launch something, you're always doing it with a set of assumptions. We had the assumption that D4 was meant to be more D2-like. And so one of the assumptions was that people were going to be okay with the long grind for the Unique or an Uber Unique in particular, because in Diablo II, it can go years. You can go three years before you find the Uber you're looking for. And in fact, like there's a name called the Holy Grail, which is getting one of everything, which literally takes years. And so we were like, okay, this is what people love about the progression of D2, that idea of that very long chase. And so we launched that way with D4 and we found out very quickly that if you don't give me my Uber in my season, then I'm upset. And so we're like, oh, wow, okay. And now it's not like, now we actually have an uber currency, uber unique currency that you can go make the one. If you're not finding it, you can actually go make it for yourself, right? And so, which is very different. It's just a kind of a recognition of how much players have changed in 20 years. You know, what they, that consumptive nature of a live service and that time is money and I don't have much time, so let's go, right? And so that idea of like, oh, you're going to get a unique every six months. So what are you talking about? I need to get all the uniques in six months, you know? And so it's been, so that's that clarity that Brent (Associate Game Director), talks about is just putting in players' hands, getting their actions and adapting."
This quote really encapsulates the key challenge for Blizzard: adapting Diablo’s formula to a new era and new expectations from the franchise. Early criticism of Diablo 4 focused on grind-heavy progression and unique item scarcity, forcing Blizzard to introduce more accessible systems, like crafting currency for Mythic Uniques and earlier access to the Helltides, making leveling easier.
In contrast, Path of Exile 2 is unapologetically complex. Regular nerfs to overpowered builds, while expected during Early Access, don’t deter its audience, even if they must completely rebuild their characters as a result. Meanwhile, Diablo 4’s adjustments—such as the infamous Spiritborn Eagle Evade nerf—often provoke backlash and jokes about Blizzard 'killing fun.'
Currently, it's a bit too easy to detonate Gas Cloud explosions when combined with persistent Ignite skills like Flame Wall. We'll be adjusting the explosion damage of both Gas Grenade and Gas Arrow for now in an upcoming hotfix.In the future, we want to update it such that the…December 9, 2024
While in both cases it's necessary to make changes for the long term health of the game, it's just something I've observed about audience attitudes with both games. Diablo 4 is prime for more criticism given the size of the studio and budget, so fair reason, but a difference nonetheless.
Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 are two very different games, and that's a good thing for players
Blizzard’s shift toward a more casual approach for Diablo 4 is the right move. Trying to emulate Path of Exile 2’s complexity would likely alienate a significant portion of its audience. Instead, Diablo 4 is carving out its niche as a more accessible, 'comfort food' ARPG, perfect for unwinding after a long day of the real-life grind.
Meanwhile, Path of Exile 2 thrives as a haven for hardcore players seeking depth and challenge. Grinding Gear Games even polled their community on whether they should simplify aspects of the game—unsurprisingly, the answer was a resounding “no.” Path of Exile 2 should embrace what sets it apart: a steep learning curve and a commitment to rewarding mastery. My colleague, a self-confessed "Diablo 2 snob has found his home in Path of Exile 2.
Both games will do well by catering to their respective audiences. Path of Exile 2 will continue to shine as the go-to ARPG for those craving complexity, while Diablo 4 provides a polished, approachable alternative. As someone who enjoys both games, but finds myself most comfortable in the less challenging option, I’m thrilled to see them chart their own courses. Afterall, we can't all reach the hardcore heights of Elon Musk.
