Diablo 4 is progressively reverting changes from its highly criticized 1.1 patch, enhancing XP acquisition in World Tiers 3 and 4

Leading up to Diablo 4’s inaugural season in July, the game found itself entangled in a maelstrom of discontent due to an overwhelmingly unpopular patch. To say the community backlash was fierce would be an understatement; it prompted an unprecedented emergency broadcast by the developers, where they solemnly declared, “we don’t plan on doing a patch like this ever again.”

Now, in a promising turn of events, the Diablo team seems committed to not just fixing their past mistakes but completely undoing them. Gamesradar recently uncovered a hotfix that has boosted experience gains when slaying monsters in World Tier 3 by 5%, and a substantial 15% increase in World Tier 4.

This adjustment comes as a much-needed remedy to the grievances of players who were up in arms over the nerfs imposed by the previous patch. These nerfs significantly reduced experience bonuses for dispatching higher-level monsters, dropping from a respectable 25% at three levels higher to a meager 15% when tackling foes about ten levels above.

While this may technically be seen as good news, it appears that many players would prefer it if these missteps had never occurred in the first place. On the game’s subreddit, players greeted the hotfix less as a gesture of goodwill and more as a belated admission of the developers’ blunders. The top-rated comment by a user named SQRTLURFACE aptly quipped, “Classic Blizzard. Reduce XP, then Give XP back, call it a hotfix/patch.”

The lack of player enthusiasm doesn’t come as a shock. The initial patch had taken a sledgehammer to the community’s trust in the game, nerfing various character classes, including the already-struggling Sorcerer, and considerably slowing down the endgame progression. One particularly vexing change was the addition of an extra 2 seconds to dungeon teleports, a seemingly petty adjustment that left players scratching their heads about its supposed gameplay enhancement.

However, it’s worth acknowledging that there have been earnest efforts to enhance the game, albeit amidst a fair share of confusion. Diablo 4’s excessive crowd control measures were toned down earlier this month, promises of loot filters are on the horizon, and August saw adjustments to enemy density. Whether these changes will be enough to win back the disillusioned player base or if they come too late remains uncertain.