With the Server Slam open beta almost over for Diablo 4, fans are looking ahead to the final launch date, but some questions still linger.
Diablo is an infamous series that has created the ARPG genre by itself. Every game in the series has you taking on horrible demonic monsters as you try to save the world from various Princes of Hell. Multiplayer has been a part of the series from the first iteration, even though functionality has evolved over the years. Diablo 2 evolved multiplayer by adding the ladder system, allowing players to compete in seasons where reaching high levels fastest gives you bragging rights.
What about Crossplay?
Older games in the series didn’t offer any form of crossplay. Diablo 3 players were still limited to playing the game with players on the same platform. All the servers were separated by platform, forcing groups of friends to pick it up on the same console or PC.
But Diablo 4 is finally introducing a limited form of crossplay, allowing PC and Xbox players to play together. Despite facing plenty of issues with the upcoming Microsoft purchase of Activision/Blizzard, the deal is definitely still going to go through sometime later this year. This is probably why PlayStation users will be left out of the loop, making it unable for them to use crossplay functionality. They can still play alongside other PlayStation users, so it won’t be that big of a problem.
Like most games nowadays, Diablo 4 constantly requires an internet connection to work. And this time around, this isn’t only linked to account verification and other anti-piracy tactics. Blizzard has added an MMO element to the series, allowing you to encounter other players throughout the world map randomly. You can quickly join a party with them and take on various world bosses or challenges.
Cross-progression
Despite lacking full crossplay functionality, Diablo 4 does offer cross-progression. As long as you’re using the same Battle.net account, your characters will be available no matter what platform you’re playing on. So if you want to quickly switch from your PC to a console to play more comfortably from your couch, it will be more accessible than ever. And this will also allow you to play couch co-op with your friends or family from a single account. Just plug in another controller, and you’ll be slaying demons together in no time. All of this has been confirmed in this older blog post straight from Blizzard
If you look forward to enjoying Diablo 4 in multiplayer with your friends, you must ensure you all use a PC or Xbox. It’s doubtful that Blizzard will add crossplay to Sony consoles in time, and their pending Microsoft acquisition will make that an impossibility for the future. In the meantime, you can try out our best games like Diablo list right now and find something to pass the time until Diablo 4 finally launches on June 6, 2023.
