New details about Diablo 4 are revealed daily, including its new progression system, Vessel of Hatred content, and the Dark Citadel raid.
Loot hunters in Sanctuary have questions, especially with the increased co-op focus in Vessel of Hatred. Since Dark Citadel needs two or more players and includes a Group Finder, some players worry they might be forced into co-op.
We asked Blizzard directly and cleared up the situation.
Diablo 4: Does The Raid in Vessel of Hatred Offer the Best Loot?
In a conversation with Systems Designer Aislyn Hall and Game Director Brent Gibson, we asked a straightforward question: What will the item level of the Dark Citadel be? Instead of asking for exact numbers, we focused on how the gear compares to the rest of the game’s challenges. The answer is reassuring.
“There will be no gear in the Dark Citadel that is better than any other gear you can find in the game,”
Brent Gibson clarified.
“There will be a weekly treasure in the Dark Citadel that contains some pretty awesome gear.”
So, while there will be valuable rewards, nothing will surpass gear available elsewhere.
The weekly chest will certainly motivate players to visit the Citadel, but it won’t give a direct advantage in terms of gear score. When asked further, they confirmed the Citadel won’t offer unique affixes or gear sets with special effects unavailable elsewhere. However, the raid will have exclusive cosmetic items that players can only obtain through participating in it.
Diablo 4: New Details on Spiritborn, Story and Mercenaries
In addition to exciting details about the loot in the “raid,” we also discussed upcoming mercenaries, the story, and the Spiritborn class with Aislyn and Brent. Here are the key insights:
- The Spiritborn can complete the main story of Diablo 4(Buy now at $62.99(Xbox) & $36(PS5)), not just the Vessel of Hatred. However, you will still need the expansion for this.
- Our characters let Neyrelle go because: a) she slipped away unnoticed, and b) our heroes lack the broader perspective of the franchise, so they don’t realize, “A soul gem has never worked, and we shouldn’t let anyone handle it alone.”
- When another player joins your group, only your “reinforcement” mercenary counts. This mercenary assists with a skill at key moments but does not engage in regular combat.
- In terms of player power, mercenaries are intended to fall between the powerful D2 mercenaries and the weaker companions from D3. The goal is to complement different playstyles. For example, a tank mercenary would be useful for glass cannon wizards, or a mercenary with crowd control (CC) abilities if you don’t have many yourself.
