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Diablo Immortal warbands changing with RPG’s next patch, says Blizzard

Blizzard lead designer Wyatt Cheng addresses Diablo Immortal warbands changes and other updates for clans coming in the fantasy RPG game’s big next patch

Diablo Immortal warbands changes - four humans fight off a horde of demons

Diablo Immortal warbands changes are on the way, says the fantasy game’s lead designer Wyatt Cheng of Blizzard in an update discussing the multiplayer group system. Diablo Immortal warbands have been a point of much controversy among the playerbase. Frustrated by the necessity of having all eight members of your warband online simultaneously for certain activities in the RPG game, many players have called for the system to instead be integrated into clans.

Diablo Immortal lead designer Wyatt Cheng addresses player feedback in a post on the game’s subreddit. He notes four major concerns with warbands – the requirement to use them for certain aspects of play, the eight-player requirement, the value of warband rewards, and the gameplay experience offered by warband activities – and takes time to address each point individually.

First on the table is the requirement for warbands in certain activities that can interfere with progress in other areas of the game. Cheng admits that “if you aren’t participating in warbands it can be frustrating to find other systems that require participation in order to continue.” These include areas such as the Codex and the Hero’s Journey – both of which previously had steps where warbands are required. Cheng notes that some steps have already been taken to address this, and the issue is still being monitored.

Cheng says that the next major patch will be reducing the requirement for a warband raid to four players, rather than requiring all eight members. This will no doubt come as welcome relief for many – the previous requirement combined with the eight player limit for a warband has led to many players constantly disbanding and reforming the groups as it can be difficult to ensure the same eight players are all online simultaneously. Cheng himself goes so far as to call it “a major pain point.”

As mentioned earlier, one of the most common suggestions from the audience is to roll the warband functionality into the much larger Diablo Immortal clans. Cheng admits that “if we were looking only at the game that exists today we would likely take this route,” but says that future updates plan to offer some “unique gameplay experiences that can’t be properly accommodated by clans that warbands will be better positioned to take advantage of.”

These new experiences, Cheng explains, will also feature new reward systems that aim to focus on the smaller group activities where “the contribution and personality of each individual is more intimate.” He says that the team is hoping to provide fans with “a persistent progression system that you are able to advance with a sense of teamwork and cooperation in a more close-knit setting.”

While the update promises a lot, many players are still expressing their frustrations with the structure of warbands. Some say that Cheng’s words point to a desire from Blizzard to make warbands more permanent mini-groups, despite many players wanting them gone altogether – especially given the game’s mobile nature, meaning that many players prefer to just hop in for short sessions rather than coordinating planned group activities. Other users say they just want to play by themselves and aren’t looking to be forced into group activities.

Diablo Immortal patch 1.5.5 introduces season four of the multiplayer game. It was recently announced that Diablo Immortal PvP restrictions will be placed on players hit with punishments following third-party transactions. If you’re looking to put together your endgame loadout, our best Diablo Immortal builds and Diablo Immortal gems guide should ensure your success.