Watching Diablo 4 streamers die in the game’s hardcore mode is a strange feeling. Predominantly, it’s a moment of shared sadness and empathy; thousands of people all crying out at once as an on-screen avatar is silenced. But there’s undoubtedly a little delight in there, the sweet sense of Schadenfreude that at least it didn’t happen to you. Unfortunately for Diablo 4 streamer Quintin Crawford, he might have just racked up one of the most heart-wrenching deaths recorded in the RPG game to date.
Crawford, who goes by ‘Quin’ or ‘Quin69’ on Twitch, is no stranger to the series – in fact, you might remember him as the streamer who deleted a $15k Diablo Immortal gem in despair before announcing he was done with the crossover mobile and PC game. He’s been known to court controversy, and his loud, brash style certainly invites him some viewers hoping his character meets an untimely end, just to see the fireworks. Well, they just got their wish.
The moment itself is somewhat shrouded in mystery. Quin’s character is level 91, and he’s busily clearing Diablo 4 nightmare dungeons to push for that final few levels and earn some tasty glyph upgrades to max out his Diablo 4 paragon board. He clears the dungeon, gathers his loot, and teleports back home. But his character never makes it.
After being stuck on the loading screen for a while, Quin quits and reloads. He stares for a few seconds at the dreaded words on screen: “Your fallen character has gone to the Hall of Fallen Heroes.” “Bro… bro…” he eventually lets out in desperation.
“I finished the f**ing map,” he says slowly, “And I literally ported to town… I think this is dogs**t, man.” It bears similarity to the way the first Diablo 4 hardcore level 100 player died, but Quin’s in an empty dungeon.
So what happened? Another popular Diablo 4 streamer, Octavian ‘Kripparrian’ Morosan, who’s known for his cheeky back-and-forths with Quin, has a theory. “There’s no mobs, his dungeon is complete – but it is the zapping thing,” he explains, referring to the dungeon modifier that causes a floating device to periodically damage characters when it’s nearby.
Quin is standing in a protection bubble, which should keep him safe, but Kripparrian suggests, “It’s possible that, when he ports out, his character is in limbo and the zapping thing can still hit him.” He goes so far as to say, “You should never play that mod in hardcore,” explaining that sometimes the safety bubble spawns in dangerous areas. “I do not think he’s entirely blameless in that situation. You do not do that modifier on hardcore.”
Quin, in his inimitably coarse way, doesn’t seem to agree with this suggestion – and it does always make me just a touch sad when hardcore players feel forced to avoid certain mechanics in the game altogether because they can’t guarantee that their safety is in their own hands.
The aforementioned first player to hit level 100 in hardcore, Souaïb ‘cArn’ Hanaf, comments on the similarity to his own downfall. “I thought we’d seen all the dumbest ARPG deaths possible already but D4 never stops [delivering],” he says, “actually the worst one I’ve ever seen.” Unfortunately for Quin, his run is over regardless – but he’s already back at level 47 and working on a new best Druid build.
Dodge your own potential heartbreak by looking through all the best Diablo 4 builds so that you’re ready for the arrival of Diablo 4 season 1. We’ve also got all the latest details on what you can expect from the Diablo 4 battle pass and rewards once it arrives.