Diablo 4 will have the most extensive end-game content of any Diablo game ever made. That's because Blizzard is designing Diablo 4's endgame alongside its main campaign. In many ways, the end-game is really "the game," with Diablo GM Rod Fergusson expecting it'll keep players entertained "for thousands of hours."
Those end-game activities include more difficult (and rewarding) PvE content like Nightmare Dungeons, Helltide, and Whispers of the Dead, but also a PvP game mode called Fields of Hate. We got a hint of what to expect in the Fields of Hate in a video posted last week. Players will head into a certain area, kill monsters for their shards, and then attempt to "purify" those shards before getting ganked by other players.
Don't expect the Fields of Hatred to be your typical Diablo PvP duel. You won't know who you're fighting until they appear, and they might even be at a higher level than you.
"As players go through the system, it's not designed to be fair," said associate game director Joseph Piepiora (via GamesRadar+). "This is not a dueling system. That's not what Fields of Hatred are, you know? Fields of Hatred are murder grounds; this is not a place for honor."
You'll be fighting both monsters and other players in the PvPvE experience, although it sounds like the biggest threat will be human opponents. Piepiora said that "getting a drop on an opponent makes a big difference" in who will survive and who will fall, as well as ensuring you have plenty of potions on hand. And don't get target-fixated on ending a boss for those shards as that's the perfect opportunity for someone to sneak up and ambush you.
Although the Fields of Hatred aren't being designed as a "balanced experience," Piepiora admits that he'll likely need to tune certain classes or abilities after Diablo 4 goes live in June.
Lead producer Kayleigh Calder added that while the Fields of Hatred don't have a matchmaker, instances will populate based on player item and power levels. There will be "some variation," but we shouldn't see total newbies getting squashed by level 100 titans.
And if you’re not a fan of PvP, period, then you’ll be happy to note that the Fields of Hatred is an entirely opt-in game mode that only provides cosmetic rewards.
We've also recently received information on how Diablo 4 will be a live-service game from the word go. Blizzard plans to offer a battle pass that'll take 80 hours to complete, according to Piepiora, with seasons expected to last three months. Some players have already expressed concern that these hourly figures might discourage more casual players who only dabbled in Diablo 3 from diving into Diablo 4.
Diablo 4 is currently in its beta period with a full launch expected on June 6.