Enjoying a game, putting it on the shelf, and thinking you had a good time is a thing of the past. Now, games last forever. And it’s neither good nor bad per se, it’s just the business model that exists, divided into different seasons where there’s always a reason to come back. Blizzard knows very well that the seasonal model works, thanks to ‘Overwatch 2,’ and they plan to follow the same path for the multi-million-selling ‘Diablo IV.’
Don Diablo has escaped
Do you remember ‘Diablo IV‘? It was released on June 5th, which is ancient history in the world of video games. It was the fastest-selling game in the history of the developer, and now the franchise director, Rod Ferguson, has clarified their plans to keep players engaged with the game, especially after those post-credits scenes.
Firstly, as you might have guessed, they will introduce quarterly seasons to expand on what’s happening within the game itself. The second season, called the “Season of Blood,” will launch on October 17th, following a somewhat disastrous first season. In it, players will battle the vampires of Sanctuary and will be accompanied by a vampire hunter named Erys, played by Gemma Chan. You’ll have new vampire powers, five different final bosses (each with unique enhancements), and the usual fare for these kinds of updates.
And, on the other hand, there will be annual expansions, of which we still know nothing, but they will continue the story beyond the ending, which already hinted at the return of a very powerful villain from the saga. If things go well, between expansions and seasons, you may not have to play a single game for quite a few years.
Everything seems to indicate that Blizzard has hit the mark with its strategy, much like Bungie did with “Destiny 2.” The question is, with the variety available and the issues that came with the game’s launch, how many people out there will be willing to keep playing “Diablo IV” until Blizzard runs out of ideas? Stay tuned because the coming years will be very interesting.
