No Gatekeeping Behind the River Gate

What You Need to Know

• The upcoming Dark Citadel is the first exclusively multi-player feature in a Diablo game.
• The VoH expansion will also include a completely reworked progression system.
• Playing the Dark Citadel should not be mandatory for full game progression.
• Solo and casual players will still be safe from gatekeeping.

Nearly a year ago I published an article entitled Diablo 4 VoH Expansion at BlizzCon 2023 that reviewed some of the changes and additions that were expected with the upcoming expansion this October. That review covered the introduction of regional boss battles, also known as Raids, which would involve clashing with the Khazra. I recall expressing some concern at that time regarding the decision to add a multi-player only feature to the game and how it might adversely impact solo and casual players by instituting gatekeeping.

As we discovered last week during the Gamescom livestream, the VoH expansion will introduce Raids to Diablo 4 as a new endgame feature called the Dark Citadel. This activity will, in fact, be multi-player only and accessing it will require a party of at least two players. I was a bit worried that the Dark Citadel could prove to be an ominous milestone for the Diablo game series. However, it turns out that the Diablo franchise will, for the most part, be sticking to its roots.

Style vs. Substance

One of the most important and fundamental features of traditional MMOs is, of course, that players are required, at least at some point, to engage in multi-player activities in order to progress further in the game. Unfortunately, many players who are unable to keep pace end up being gatekept by more advanced players. Consequently, these less experienced players are essentially blocked from progressing any further, which can sometimes mean having to spend real world money on being bussed in order to catch up.

Way back when Diablo 4 was first announced it was described as a live service open world game where everyone would encounter other players all the time. I remember many solo and casual players voicing their concern and disapproval about potentially being forced to play with other gamers. The Devs responded by reassuring everyone that Diablo 4 would not be a bona fide MMO but, rather, an MMO-style game where direct interaction with other players would be relatively minimal and primarily within our control.

The Dark Side of the Dark Citadel

As any Diablo fan knows, the opportunity to group up in a party with other players has always been a part of the game series. In fact, taking advantage of the META by participating in multi-player games has usually proved to be more effective compared to playing solo. However, it’s previously never been the case that Diablo players were required to engage in multi-player activities in order to beat the game.

One could argue that PvP is an exception to this, which obviously must have at least two players directly engaged with each other. Nevertheless, PvP still doesn’t require players to technically join a party. It’s also always been a far less popular playstyle, generally speaking, as evidenced by the fact that PvP objectives were completely removed from the Diablo 4 Season Journey in Season 5.

However, when the Dark Citadel was announced last week, it was described specifically as a multi-player only activity. Two of the other new VoH features that were announced at the same time were the Party Finder along with a completely reworked character progression system. Taken together, these changes suggested that all players might soon be forced to use the Party Finder to group up with other players in the Dark Citadel in order to progress further in the game.

Light Pierces the Jungle

Thankfully, as a result of some recent Developer interviews, including with Tiffany Wat and Rex Dickson, we learned that the Dark Citadel will be a part of the progression to higher difficulty levels, but participation in this new feature will not be absolutely ncessary. Other new activities, such as the Kurast Undercity, as well as some of the current endgame features, will also be scalable as part of the new progression system.

At the same time, there will some specific armor drops in the Dark Citadel along with the associated assortment of exclusive cosmetics. This is, of course, a great idea because it will allow players who have braved the Khazra raids to show off their achievements. It’s also possible that other new items and/or Aspects will drop in only the Citadel, but getting them should not be absolutely critical to beating the game. The Season 6 PTR Campfire Chat later this week will hopefully have the answers to these questions and more, so be sure to tune in.

Party Finder

As mentioned in yesterday’s article, a new in-game Party Finder UI will be included in Patch 2.0 as part of the VoH expansion. The Party Finder will have a variety of tags that will allow players to communicate exactly what type of group they would like to join or want to assemble. This means that it will soon be much easier for casual players to link up with other gamers for activities that are best done in a group.

I already know that I am most certainly one of those players who will be offering lots of free carries once this new feature goes live. So, if you decide that you’re interested in giving the Dark Citadel a try, but you’re still apprehensive about participating in a multi-player activity, then feel free to message me on Twitter or the PureDiablo Discord and I will gladly to show you the ropes, free of charge.

Disclaimer on Content Speculation

There are still many changes coming to Diablo 4 with the release of the VoH expansion. Consequently, there will likely be changes to how players level up their characters and progress through the game. Nevertheless, the information presented above will most likely applicable to future Seasons, generally speaking. Please be sure to check back here at PureDiablo for additional updates as more information becomes available.

See You Next Time

The PureDiablo community would like to know your opinion on this topic, so please sound off in the comments section below, or contact me on Twitter. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions for future topics here at PureDiablo. In the meantime, be sure to keep an eye on the news feed so you’ll have all the up-to-date info you need to get the most out of your game.

If you believe that any of the information shared above is inaccurate in any way, please let us know, along with a reference for the correct information, so we can update this document accordingly.

Gazerrick is a staff writer for PureDiablo who focuses primarily on casual gaming interests and lore for the Diablo community. When not hacking and slashing his way through a new Season, he can be found participating in, and presenting at, various pop culture conventions in southern Arizona. You can follow him on Twitter @Gazerrick9000 for even more of his gaming indulgences. A collection of his creative media is also available at Cactus Palm Perspectives.