The Server Slam for Diablo 4 went live through the weekend of May 12 to 14, giving players one last taste of the hellish ARPG ahead of its June 6 launch as they battled to level 20 and put Blizzard's server infrastructure to the test. The drop rate for Legendaries, which was tuned up for Diablo 4's previous betas, was brought to its retail level for the server slam. Though some fans were wary that it would lead to a scarcity of fine loot, that notion seems to have been unfounded.
The time has almost come for Diablo 4 to release, with players eager to dive in on June 6. Over a decade since the release of Diablo 3, the new entry in the long-running series has some big shoes to fill, but Blizzard seems capable, and reception to the open betas has been glowing. Beyond the small taste that players have gotten are many unanswered questions regarding the new open-world design for the game, its commitment to a live-service model, and how the endgame will play. Some have become disenchanted with Blizzard's quality as a studio over the last few years, and Diablo 4 represents its best chance to win back those to whom it has fallen out of favor.
In Diablo, Loot Reigns Supreme
One crucial element Diablo 4's success will hinge on is its balance of loot, and not just how it performs, but the frequency that it drops. One large point of contention during Diablo 3's launch was the drop rate of Legendary armor and weapons, as well as the fact that in most cases, Legendaries were outpaced by rare items with good rolls. Blizzard remedied this later in Diablo 3's lifespan, increasing the Legendary drop rate as well as giving them more game-altering modifiers and inherently better stats than rares. That hopefully indicates that Diablo 4 will launch without repeating Diablo 3's mistake.
To ensure players got a solid feel for the variety of loot available in Diablo 4, Blizzard tuned up the drop rate of Legendaries in the previous betas. The Server Slam brought those levels back to where they will presumably be at launch, which left some fans concerned that Legendaries would be too hard to come by. By all accounts that was not the case, with players still able to cobble together a decent build as they ground out level 20 and took on Ashava the Pestilent.
The Endgame is Where Diablo 4 Must be at its Strongest
Blizzard's philosophy surrounding Legendary loot since the Loot 2.0 update for Diablo 3 is for the unique items to change the way players play the game. With skill-altering modifiers that encourage variety and ingenuity in builds, the change was one of the biggest and most celebrated in the game's history. The Diablo 4 betas showcased Blizzard's reaffirmation to that philosophy, but it all comes down to the endgame, and if players will have a steady, consistent drip-feed of new loot to keep them engaged long-term. Between the World Tiers, Nightmare Dungeons, the all-new Mythic items, and the Fields of Hatred PvP zone, the premise of Diablo 4's endgame seems incredibly promising on paper.
For many, June 6 can not come fast enough, or June 1 for those who pre-ordered. 2023 has already delivered some phenomenal titles, but Diablo 4 still has within it the potential to be crowned game of the year. With the fears that Legendary items would be too uncommon proven unfounded, fans are now honed in on how the endgame will perform and if the story of Diablo 4 can maintain the quality teased to players in the beta. The general discourse has been optimistic, but it is all speculation until the reviews begin to pour in and fans decide if Blizzard stuck the landing.
Diablo 4 will be available June 6 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
