Blizzard's Diablo series of action RPGs has a long and rich history of competitive PvP, and it looks like the upcoming Diablo 4 will not only build on this legacy but will also make PvP more accessible than ever to players who may not be as enthusiastic about facing off against human opponents. Diablo games have never particularly been focused on PvP, but nonetheless, they've attracted a dedicated community that continues to host competitions for the original Diablo 27 years later. As a largely PvE-focused series, stepping into this arena can be an intimidating prospect for players who may desire a particular item earned through PvP.
In a roundtable interview with Diablo 4 Associate Game Director Joe Piepiora and Lead Game Producer Kayleigh Calder, Game ZXC asked the developers a few questions about Diablo 4's Fields of Hatred PvP gameplay and how players earn the various cosmetic rewards that are exclusive to the Fields of Hatred. Piepiora assured players that the rewards can be obtained without necessarily having to kill other players since progression is tied to the various activities in the Fields of Hatred. That being said, PvP is still the main function of the Fields of Hatred, so players will need to stay on their toes if they want to hold on to the fruits of their labor.
Diablo 4's PvP Rewards Aren't Exclusively Tied to PvP
The main component of Diablo 4's PvP is the Fields of Hatred, high-risk high-reward free-for-all PvP zones inhabited by multiple players who can work on various tasks to earn the mode's Shards of Hatred currency. By tying this currency to PvE activities within the Fields of Hatred, Diablo 4 has made it possible for peaceful or less-competitive players to make meaningful progress toward the rewards they're after.
The Fields of Hatred is set up in such a way that players who might not really love PvP - who don't like player-versus-player conflict generally - don't need to kill players in the FIelds of Hatred in order to earn the Shards of Hatred and take them to shrines to then convert into the Red Dust, which is the currency that you actually use to purchase those cosmetic rewards.
This system also heavily rewards skilled PvP players who can potentially rack up large of amounts of Shards of Hatred quickly by killing other players and taking their hard-earned shards. Although every Diablo 4 player has a chance to earn the rewards, the strongest competitors can make progress much more quickly.
Diablo 4's Fields of Hatred Has Lots of Gameplay Possibilities
The Fields of Hatred are a far more dynamic PvP environment than something like Diablo Immortal's battlegrounds, which are always an 8v8 matchup between players. There are many activities players can engage in to earn their shards, including world bosses and local events.
But it does mean that when you're in the Fields of Hatred, you do put yourself at risk of other players coming along and trying to kill you and take your Unpurified Shards of Hatred before you've had a chance to convert them over. So you do need to put yourself at risk in order to do this, but you don't need to go and try to find other players to kill as part of that. There are monsters, there are local events, and there are roaming world bosses you can find inside the space. There's other content that will pop up over the course of time so you don't just have to fight players.
The free-for-all PvP setting also allows for some unpredictability in player interaction. Players may end up forming uneasy alliances, mutually agreeing to leave each other alone to focus on earning shards. This is reminiscent of The Division's Dark Zones where players sometimes opt to live and let live, although the ever-present danger of things turning sideways keeps the tension level high at all times.
Diablo 4 is out June 6 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
