Diablo 4 players agree one feature completely ruins the game

Diablo 4 is in a bad state right now, with fans proclaiming the game “dead” and official events having little community interest. As for what’s causing this state, some players agreed that a major reason is the lack of build discovery and experimentation in the game.

On Sept. 14, a player started a discussion on how every build in Diablo 4 was designed by the developers. “The devs sat down in a room together and came up with all the builds you see used today,” with items designed for a specific build.

They even mentioned that there were cases when devs nerfed things in the game due to “unintended gameplay” after players discovered a new item combination. Another fan wrote that predetermined builds are just like in Diablo 3 but collecting all items is more tedious.

The issue with pre-determined builds and developers forcing a playstyle is not entirely new. According to one fan: “This was also a major issue in D3. The set bonuses each season provided powerful bonuses to specific skills.” The game forced you to lean into specific items, skills, or stats if you want to stay on top of the meta.

Obviously, some items should have a specific purpose and allow you to create a build around it, but there has to be room for experimentation and the potential to create powerful endgame builds on your own. A better system is the one found in Destiny 2, which has core items designed for a specific use and then you can build around it however you want.

While you can do the same in Diablo 4, and many are having fun with their own unique builds, the build discovery still feels more limited than it should.

Season 2 of Diablo 4 releases on Oct. 17, 2023, and it will likely be a make or break for the game. With many players leaving already there’s only so much time left to bring the interest back.