Diablo 4 players blast Runewords as ‘boring way to sneak in power creep’

Diablo 4 players who experienced season six’s PTR have been left unconvinced the boring, lacklustre Runeworlds system is going to do enough (or be creative enough) to really increase power when it arrives in the Vessel of Hatred expansion update.

Runewords are returning to the Diablo franchise in Diablo 4 Patch 2.0, but it could be to little fanfare, with players now debating the effectiveness and playability of the system. Many believe the current system is just another boring way to add power creep; it all boils down to there being no point in having fun and getting creative with the runes because only a few combinations are truly valuable, and they, of course, push the “deal more damage” playstyle.

This Runeword system, which Blizzard has claimed would be a way for Diablo 4 players to increase the power of their characters by creating their own abilities is already falling short for players. Not only did some feel like it copied Diablo 2’s archaic rune system without imbuing it with a fresh look or ambitious crafting aspects, but many believed the supposedly “fun” rune combinations just lack power and the boring combinations were stronger.

These gamers aren’t alone in thinking that the Runewords system leaves much to be desired either, with Raxxanterax, one of the most popular Diablo 4 content creators and guides experts, already calling the current Runework system “mid” and explaining there’s much that could be improved to actually make this a viable system for the action RPG moving forward.

There are many ways Blizzard could change this system for the better. Players would love to see more special effects added, better options tailored around abilities or core build features like Thorns or Damage over Time, the ability to craft and create armor based on specific Runewords, and less of a gap between the overpowered and average runes.

With Vessel of Hatred launching on Oct. 8, it’s unlikely Blizzard will adjust the Runeword system before it drops, if they decide to change it all. According to reports from players, Blizzard hasn’t implemented feedback regarding the system from the closed alpha, which means they probably won’t be implementing feedback from the PTR before the expansion goes live.

So, it’s safe to assume the boring and unimaginative Runeword system from the PTR will be what we get on day one in the Vessel of Hatred. However, we won’t know for certain until the Vessel of Hatred patch notes and PTR changes are revealed early.