What you need to know
- In the latest Diablo 4 developer diary, Blizzard Entertainment shared more about what players can expect in the seasonal structure of the game.
- Blizzard Entertainment confirmed that leaderboards are being worked on, but will not be present in Season 1.
- The developers also showed examples of the kind of cosmetics that can be earned or purchased in the shore, as well as discussing how the Battle Pass works.
- Diablo 4 is scheduled to launch on June 6, 2023, with early access beginning four days early for anyone that buys the Digital Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition.
While seasonal leaderboards are big part of the experience for hardcore Diablo players, anyone looking to prove themselves in Blizzard Entertainment's latest adventure will have to wait for a bit.
During the Diablo 4 developer diary on Wednesday, Blizzard Entertainment confirmed that leaderboards won't be present starting in Season 1. According to Blizzard, the developers are working to make sure the leaderboards are as good as possible, which means they won't present once the seasonal adventures kick off.
While Diablo 4 is slated to launch on June 6 — four day early access for anyone that preorders the Ultimate or Digital Deluxe Edition — Season 1 starts somewhere in "mid-late July," giving players some time to finish the campaign for the first time before embarking on a new season. Each season lasts for three months, and will have a particular theme, with a unique Battle Pass that has 90 tiers of rewards for players to earn. You can check out the full developer diary below:
Blizzard also added that it is possible (but not confirmed) that leaderboards will be present starting in Season 2. In general, bugs or feedback raised during one season may not be addressed in the following season, as Diablo 4's live-service team is divided in two parts that can "leapfrog" each other. The nature of game development is that one season already needs to be in development while another is ongoing.
If anyone has not yet earned the Wolf Cub Packpack cosmetic in Diablo 4, they've got one more chance with the upcoming "Server Slam" event starting on May 12 and running through May 14.
Windows Central's take
While I'm sure there are some players that will be disappointed, ultimately this seems like a small concession to make given the high quality in every other aspect of the game so far. The seasons here appear much more ambitious that those of past games, so it makes sense to delay an aspect like leaderboards until it's ready.
