I’ve written before about my concerns around a seasonal model in Diablo IV. More specifically around the pros and cons of losing character progress in the seasonal realm and having to start over and over if you want to engage with the latest content.
With a bit of time away, I’ve come back in season 9 and found that
Since its launch, Diablo IV’s seasonal structure has been a cornerstone of its live-service model, with the Battle Pass serving as the primary driver of cosmetic rewards and progression.
However, with the recent introduction of the Reliquary system, Blizzard has fundamentally altered how players earn and unlock seasonal loot, sparking debate within the community.
Lets take a look at how it’s being received.
From Linear Path to a la Carte: The Core Mechanical Shift
The original Diablo IV Battle Pass was a familiar sight for players of modern live-service games. A single, linear track of 90 tiers, with a free and a premium path.
Players progressed by earning “Favour” through regular gameplay – slaying monsters, completing quests, and tackling seasonal objectives. This straightforward progression offered a clear path to unlocking a variety of rewards. Cosmetic items, titles, and the all-important Smoldering Ashes, which provided crucial seasonal gameplay boosts.
Enter the Reliquary system. A significant departure from its predecessor. The single, linear track has been replaced by a collection of themed “Reliquaries.” Each season now presents players with a free Reliquary and several premium ones. They have their own distinct theme (e.g., “Weapons,” “Beasts,” “Armor”) and a corresponding Platinum price tag.
The most significant change lies in the progression. Instead of passively unlocking tiers, players now earn “Favor Tokens.” These tokens can be spent to unlock specific rewards in any order within the Reliquaries they have access to. This non-linear approach is designed to offer greater player agency, allowing them to prioritize the cosmetics they desire most.
Also, the Smoldering Ashes have been decoupled from the seasonal reward system. They’re now integrated into the Season Journey, ensuring that gameplay-altering buffs are not tied to a paid track.
The Community Weighs In: Choice vs. Value
The introduction of the Reliquary system has been met with a maelstrom of community feedback, with players offering a wide spectrum of opinions and personal anecdotes.
The Proponents of Choice
A segment of the community has embraced the newfound flexibility of the Reliquary system. For these players, the ability to cherry-pick rewards is a welcome change. As one player on the Blizzard forums noted, “I like that I can just grab the cool mount from the ‘Beasts’ Reliquary without having to grind through a bunch of stuff I don’t care about. It saves me time and I get what I want.” This sentiment is echoed by those who were often left with unappealing cosmetics from the latter half of the old Battle Pass.
Perceived Value
However, a significant and vocal portion of the player base has expressed strong reservations. A recurring theme in discussions on Reddit and other forums is the perceived reduction in overall value. “The old Battle Pass gave you back a chunk of your Platinum if you completed it”. The lament of one long-time player in a popular Reddit thread. “Now, the free Platinum is significantly less, making it harder to justify the cost of the premium Reliquaries each season.”
This sentiment is often accompanied by accusations of “predatory” monetization. Critics argue that by breaking the rewards into smaller, individually priced packages, the overall cost to obtain all cosmetics has become less transparent and potentially more expensive for completionists.
A Less Engaging Grind
Another point of contention is the nature of the progression itself. For some, the clear, linear path of the Battle Pass provided a more tangible sense of accomplishment. “Watching that bar fill up and hitting a new tier felt rewarding,” a player commented. “Now, I’m just hoarding tokens and it feels more like a transaction than a journey.” The shift from a continuous progression to a token-based system has, for some, diminished the satisfaction of the seasonal grind.
Stories from the Sanctuary
One player shared a story of their initial excitement for the new system, hoping to snag a specific armor set for their Rogue. Upon seeing the Platinum cost of the “Armor” Reliquary and the reduced free Platinum earnable, they ultimately decided against it. Feeling that the value proposition had soured.
Another anecdote from the community forums detailed a player’s frustration with the user interface of the Reliquary system, finding it clunky and less intuitive than the straightforward layout of the old Battle Pass. These individual stories, while personal, reflect a broader sentiment of a community grappling with a significant change to a core aspect of their seasonal experience.
The Verdict
The transition from the Battle Pass to the Reliquary system represents a clear strategic shift from Blizzard. Prioritizing player choice in reward acquisition. Lauded by some for its flexibility, it has also alienated a significant portion of the player base. The new system offers less value and a less engaging progression loop.
I don’t care for it. The attempt to go to that more Fortnite-style pass with the illusion of choice. Fact is you still want to get everything, so why make a song and dance about it?
The community’s thoughts and stories paint a picture of a divided player base. Whether Blizzard will address these concerns in future seasons remains to be seen. For now, the Reliquary system stands as a bold, if controversial, evolution in Diablo IV’s seasonal landscape, one that will undoubtedly continue to be a hot topic of discussion among the denizens of Sanctuary.