In many ways, Diablo 4 Season 5 is the culmination of all the improvements of the past seasons. I had a blast with it; it was where the Sorcerer was finally given justice. It’s also where I obtained my first ever Harlequin Crest or Shako. This snowballed into a Tyrael’s Might and other Mythic Uniques. Still, the elation wouldn’t last and would be completely trampled by the revelations of the most recent Campfire Chat or developer stream for Diablo 4 Season 6 and the Vessel of Hatred expansion.
The upcoming changes for Diablo 4 Season 6 and Vessel of Hatred are so great and game-changing, they made me quit the ongoing Season 5. As soon as the Diablo 4 Season 6 PTR (Public Test Realm) was up and online, I jumped in like a shameless turncoat.
All my interest from the Infernal Hordes mode and all the Mythics I accumulated suddenly didn’t matter. I’ve now fervently set my sights on the next big thing for Diablo 4.
The Whole Game Got Reworked
At least that’s what the developers want to convey. Diablo 4 Season 6 paired with the Vessel of Hatred expansion is quite possibly the biggest change and addition to Diablo 4 so far. So many mechanics are being reworked for player convenience, and class balance changes are being effected.
However, what really made me squeal like a fangirl, as a long-time Diablo 2 loyalist, was the reintroduction of Runewords. It’s a love letter to the old Diablo fans and something that might finally provide players with an endlessly fun endgame activity loop.
That, paired with the new class, new storyline, and possibly new other endgame activities might just convince everyone that this is the redemption Diablo 4 needed. In a sense, the devs are pulling off a Reaper of Souls move. Diablo 3 had a similar trajectory. The base game had a rough start and ultimately, its expansion, Reaper of Souls redeemed it.
You have to admit that Runewords and the Reaper of Souls-esque redemption is one heck of a way to win both Diablo 2 and Diablo 3 fans in one fell swoop.
Diablo 4 Season 5 is Dead to Me
Sadly, the casualty of this move from the Diablo 4 devs is that they might have accidentally cannibalized the ongoing Diablo 4 Season 5. I see no motivation to keep playing my geared-up Lightning Spear Sorcerer and continue past Tier 131 of The Pit. Not when there’s already a new beginning on the horizon.
Additionally, I don’t think that there are more incentives to min-maxing my gear further. Diablo 4 Season 6 might just nerf it to the ground or turn everything it has into an outdated jumble. Worse, it might get power-crept by the upcoming new class, The Spiritborn.
Try as I might, I don’t see the point in optimizing Season 5 characters further. I’ll just be doing the same thing again a month from now. With how short Diablo 4 Season 5 was (two months), it’s as if they intended it to be a throwaway season.
In any case, I have already quit Diablo 4 Season 5– not that I’m complaining. There’s not much left for me to do apart from losing sleep over the excitement that Diablo 4 Season 6 and Vessel of Hatred has promised.
