Diablo 3 launched – controversially – with locked skill slots for each type of ability. Primary skills would exclusively be on left click, and other slots were similarly locked to specific buttons. While the mix-and-match elective mode was eventually patched into Diablo 3, based on the BlizzCon demo it seemed that Diablo 4 would return to locked skill slots.
But now, the developers have confirmed that Diablo 4 “will support elective mode-style skill selection. Skill selection and assignment will always be completely open for all players.” That’s from a new blog post detailing how community feedback is already shaping Diablo 4, which is “still very much in active development.”
Some features are still completely up in the air, including endgame progression. The developers have yet to decide whether high-end progression will be finite or infinite, and we might see a level cap combined with a second experience system that would “capture the fun of achieving those really difficult endgame goals and ranks.”
Ancient items are also getting some attention after the BlizzCon feedback. “Ancients as they are don’t really serve a clear purpose in Diablo IV. We should have done a better job of explaining the role of Ancient Items in Diablo IV. We had a preliminary direction to share, but you’ve brought up some great points, so we’re revisiting our designs with your feedback in mind.”
We’ll see more details on itemisation in a future blog post, so it seems that Blizzard plans to keep up regular communication with fans in this format. That, at least, should make the wait for the Diablo 4 release date a little bit more bearable.