Diablo 4, despite breaking records as the fastest-selling Blizzard game, is currently facing a storm of controversy. The game received immense support from fans, with over 10 million units sold in June alone. However, the game's reputation has taken a significant hit.
Angry fans have launched an attack on Diablo 4, resulting in a drastic decline in its Metacritic user score, which now stands at a dismal 1.9. This pattern of review bombing has become a prevalent issue for Metacritic, and Diablo 4 has fallen victim to it. The flood of negative reviews began shortly after a patch was released, which nerfed all available classes in the game. This decision angered many fans.
Diablo IV nerfed Druid and Sorcerer in day one patch notes
Hardcore fans are distressed by the challenging endgame, which has lost its appeal due to a lack of promise. There is little incentive to grind for endgame content, leading players to consider uninstalling the game. Accusations have been made that Blizzard is intentionally making the game more grind-focused, a sentiment echoed by recent reviews. This perception of Blizzard's disregard for their community's concerns has fueled discontent among gamers.
The review bombing has caused the user score for the PS5 version to plummet to 2.6, and the negativity doesn't stop there. More than 2,500 out of the approximately 3,000 user reviews are now negative due to the latest patch.
Diablo IV is lowkey forcing players to slay monsters in Hell forever
Signs of trouble for Diablo 4 were evident from the beginning, with long queue times, server disconnects causing player deaths, and issues with microtransactions. However, the community was initially forgiving, as the game held promise and potential. Over a month later, it is apparent that Blizzard may not have planned as effectively as expected for their first foray into the live-service genre with Diablo.
In the midst of the negative reviews and fan backlash, Blizzard is taking action. They plan to hold a campfire chat to address the controversial update. Some changes have already been reversed in an attempt to appease the outraged fans.
However, despite the outcry, the game remains popular, as evidenced by the long wait times to access the game. This suggests that the latest patch may not be as problematic as some claim. Nevertheless, criticism of the update persists, and Blizzard is aware that Diablo 4 requires improvement.
Diablo IV - Screenshot
With the campaign completed and players eagerly awaiting updates, the lack of rewarding endgame content has become apparent. Blizzard needs to find a better approach that doesn't make the game excessively difficult to progress in.
As the campfire chat approaches, the Diablo 4 community hopes for substantial updates. They are eager for Blizzard to address their concerns so they can return to the game they paid for and once enjoyed. Until then, the review bombing continues, and tensions remain high.
It is clear that the launch of Season 1 has left the Diablo 4 community disappointed and unsettled.
Source: Metacritic