Diablo 4 has set the gaming world alight since its release with its fresh multiplayer dynamics and unique combat skillset among its classes. Diablo's rich history is evident in its latest edition, from the massive improvements to classes like the Druid to the macabre tone of its overarching storyline, and the developer's engaging nature to fan complaints is a plus. Fans have been clamoring for Rebirth - a Diablo 3 feature - to be reinstated in Diablo 4, and developer Blizzard's comments are raising hope for a comeback.
The dawn of Diablo 4's debut season is firmly on the horizon, and with it comes gamers' excitement to test out new features and questlines to win highly coveted legendary items. There has been a sense of skepticism in the fan base for the latest edition, as since the sails unfurled on Diablo 4's journey over a month ago, players noted the absence of an essential component from Diablo 3 that allowed its seasons to go smoothly and spectacularly as well. However, comments from the Diablo 4's Global Community Director in this regard are encouraging, and the focus now shifts to how Rebirth could work in the game.
Rebirth Could Use a Few Tweaks in Diablo 4
Much like Diablo 4, Diablo 3 was a gaming trailblazer upon its release in 2012, building on the popularity of its predecessor and propelling the franchise to the forefront of the action RPG scene with its unique mechanics and gameplay. Diablo 3's seasons were also a driving factor behind its remarkable success, as players explored the game's different builds to accomplish objectives, earn new items, and compete with other players. To eliminate the need to create a new character for each new season, Blizzard introduced a simple but much-appreciated fix, employing the Rebirth feature for the first time.
Diablo 3 received almost 30 seasons in its lifespan, and asking players to make a new character every time they wanted to participate in seasonal events bordered on ridiculous. So, Rebirth was born, allowing gamers to transform non-seasonal characters into seasonal ones pretty much instantly. The feature stripped all progress made on a build, taking players back to their humble level-one beginnings to begin a fresh build grind for a season. However, Diablo 4 seemed to turn its back on the Rebirth, requiring gamers to create a new character for every battle pass, and there was a collective groan from the fan base.
With Adam Fletcher's reassuring comments that the development team was aware of fans' distaste with this mechanic and hinting at a possible return for Rebirth, what remains to be seen is how the feature meshes with Diablo 4's gameplay. Diablo 3's Rebirth had a few faults its successor needs to correct, such as the inability to undo a Season Rebirth. To err is human, and an unfortunate slip of the hand caused a fair few gamers to accidentally choose the wrong character for Rebirth in Diablo 3, and the error couldn't be reversed. Diablo 4's first port of call should be to let gamers change their minds, although Blizzard could introduce a time limit after which players would stick with their seasonal character.
Another potential area for Diablo 4 to improve upon the Rebirth mechanic is the number of characters per season allowed to use the feature. While there's an argument that the limit of three characters is enough for most players, getting through seasonal playthroughs can be hard work, and giving gamers a few more tries at Rebirth would be welcome. As Diablo 4's Season of the Malignant waits in the wings, it is unclear if Rebirth will be available in time, but players are looking forward to tackling the debut season's objectives.
Diablo 4 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
