Chapter 215: Heat Returns
As soon as this Weibo post was released, players instantly erupted.
“Holy shit, what the hell? A Diablo expansion?”
“It’s playable already? When did Chen Mo secretly develop this?”
“This bastard didn’t leak a single hint, holy crap!”
“I thought Chen Mo was busy with Don’t Starve and the overseas version of Diablo, and had no plans for an expansion at all!”
“Oh my god, I’m crying tears of joy. Chen Mo didn’t forget us! Let’s see what’s been updated!”
“Two new classes, one new chapter!”
“Damn, from the trailer, this CG is still mind-blowing, and the story looks pretty good too!”
“These two new classes seem really fun—Crusader and Necromancer. I checked the concept art; the female Crusader is absolutely gorgeous. No way, I have to make one!”
“Let me see if there are any new gameplay features. Oh, Adventure Mode? Freely experience the story? Nice, that’ll make grinding way more convenient.”
“Hold on, Rifts? Ladder? Seasons? So many words… Alright, I forced myself to read through it. Feels like a full-service package. First, create a seasonal character, then grind like crazy in Rift mode, and fight for the Ladder rankings? Damn, Chen Mo is so thoughtful!”
“It feels like the leaderboards in card-based mobile games… But honestly, I used to hate leaderboards, but without them, it just doesn’t feel right!”
“Hardcore Mode? Only one life? Holy crap, that’s intense. I love it!”
“The expansion costs 88? Kind of hesitant to buy it… If it’s still just grinding after I get it, then this money is totally wasted…”
“You have to buy it just for the two new classes!”
“Alright, you buy it first, and after you’ve tried it, remember to tell me if it’s fun or not…”
With the quality guarantee of Diablo, Reaper of Souls sparked a download frenzy as soon as it launched. Mainly, the old Diablo players had been holding out for too long. Many thought Chen Mo had no plans to update the game, so when he suddenly dropped an entire expansion with tons of content, everyone felt pleasantly surprised.
Even Warcraft didn’t get this treatment back in the day!
And regardless of whether Diablo’s endgame was boring, it was still a premium game with enough eye-catching early content. The vast majority of players loved it.
Plus, this new expansion looked like it was packed with sincerity.
…
At the experience store.
Many players who had been trying out Don’t Starve immediately returned to Diablo’s embrace as soon as Reaper of Souls went live. The original Don’t Starve army in the store dwindled to just a few stubborn holdouts.
“You’re going to play the Diablo expansion too?”
“Yeah, I have to at least try the new story and new classes.”
“You’re abandoning Don’t Starve too? I was waiting to team up with you!”
“Ah, it’s fine. I’ll probably play Diablo for a week or two at most. Once I’ve tried the new classes and finished the story, I’ll get bored and come back to scavenge trash.”
“Exactly, the Nephalem’s destiny is calling me!”
Zou Zhuo immediately created a new seasonal character—a female Crusader—and started leveling up.
He wasn’t alone. Seasonal mode was a fresh experience for many loyal Diablo players.
Before, when Diablo launched, some people bought it early and some late. Those who played first had a huge advantage, which frustrated players who bought it a week or two late but still wanted to climb the rankings. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t catch up.
Also, many players didn’t know what they were doing at the start. They had no clue about skill choices or gear setups and wasted a lot of time. If the Ladder was based on old accounts, the gap between accounts was just too big.
Now that a new season had started, everyone had to level new characters, but at least they were on the same starting line. Newbies wouldn’t fall too far behind, and veterans could use their experience to gain an early edge. So, as soon as the new season launched, everyone was super enthusiastic.
Zou Zhuo said to Jia Peng, “Come on, let’s power-level. We’re gonna grind all night today and hit max level first!”
Jia Peng replied, “Uh, but the experience store closes at night.”
Zou Zhuo said, “So what? When the store closes, we’ll hit up an internet cafe and keep going!”
Jia Peng: “…”
On Diablo’s official forum, after the expansion’s release, things got lively again. Some discussed the new story and classes, others talked about seasonal mode and the Ladder, and still others debated Hardcore Mode, Legendary Gems, and more.
“Everyone, predict which class will have the biggest advantage in the new season? Who’ll top the Ladder first?”
“Starting fresh tomorrow! Anyone want to share how to play the Barbarian?”
“Seasonal mode is live! Need some stable teammates to start fresh together!”
“Newbie asking about Necromancer builds, preparing to climb the Ladder tomorrow!”
“Total newbie here, saw the expansion launched and want to get into the game. Any veteran willing to guide me?”
“Big guide post: Current multiple builds for the Barbarian.”
“Data compilation: Drop rates by difficulty.”
“Diablo damage calculation formula and analysis of various damage-boosting effects.”
“Beginner’s guide to all classes.”
Popular posts quickly got bumped up. Many Diablo players who had quit heard about the expansion and came back, teaming up to tackle the seasonal Ladder.
Soon, the old complaint posts, suggestion posts, and quit posts vanished. Players’ opinions of the new version grew more and more positive.
“I suddenly feel like this game is playable again! Seriously, seasonal mode is so fun. Now my daily grinding is full of motivation!”
“Yeah, before, I’d grind for hours. Even if I got a full set of great gear, so what? No one saw it, no one to share it with. Now, to climb the rankings, I’m pumped every day!”
“And there’s more variety too. Even though I’m tired of the story mode, I can play Adventure Mode to farm caches, do special quests to craft special gear, grind Rifts for equipment, or push Greater Rift levels!”
“Climbing the Ladder is seriously addictive!”
“The new classes are awesome too! The Crusader and Necromancer skills are fantastic!”
“Plus, so much new content. Kanai’s Cube can extract Legendary item powers, which boosts combat power a ton. Now I can equip those special items I had to give up before!”
“Has no one tried Hardcore Mode? It’s so damn intense. The thrill of adventure is insane. I’m really scared I’ll die by accident and never be able to revive!”
“The expansion is amazing! Long live Chen Mo!”
“Hey, weren’t you guys cursing him out just a while ago?”
“Ahem, that was a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! From today on, I’m Chen Mo’s die-hard fan!”
“So Chen Mo really did remember us! I wonder if he saw those suggestion posts. But not adopting them was the right call, because the expansion’s approach is way smarter than those suggestions!”
“Indeed, ‘I’m smarter than the designer’ is a false proposition when it comes to Chen Mo!”