The Vessel of Hatred expansion introduced the Dark Citadel, a challenging raid-style dungeon requiring multiplayer, a first for the franchise. While many players enjoy the group feature, some solo players are frustrated by the forced group content.
Game Director Brent Gibson, however, remains confident in the decision. “I am absolutely sticking to my guns on Dark Citadel,” Gibson stated in a Polygon interview, emphasizing that while the content is multiplayer-only, it’s not required for efficient progression, as Diablo 4 offers plenty of other endgame content, like the Pit, Nightmare Dungeons, and Infernal Hordes.
“We’ve designed it in a way, where to be the most efficient the game, it’s not required to have to go through that multiplayer content. I love the fact that we have this huge, rich game that has a bunch of different activities that give you alternate paths in the same loop.”
Gibson also highlighted the growing community of gamers who prioritize playing with friends, suggesting that multiplayer content aligns with evolving player preferences. Despite criticism, the Dark Citadel has received positive feedback from players.
Check out the full interview over at Polygon.