GamesRPGDiablo 4Diablo 4’s forgettable XP boost event has me crossing my fingers that its upcoming leaderboards won’t be as dullWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGDiablo 4Diablo 4’s forgettable XP boost event has me crossing my fingers that its upcoming leaderboards won’t be as dullWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Tyler C. / Activision Blizzard)

Diablo 4’s Lunar New Year event doesn’t feel like an event at all. The promised cosmetic rewards take about an hour to earn and trying to find the XP-boosting Lunar Shrines is harder than trying to find an Uber Unique. It’s as if the event was designed for the Diablo 4 that existed beforeseason 2’s overhaul,and Blizzard’s hotfixes can’t seem to make it much better.
Today,Blizzard doubled the XP bonusfrom the Lunar Shrines scattered throughout the open world and dungeons to 100% (from 50%). You’d think a 100% XP boost would be huge for anyone who needs to grind out the last few levels toward 100, but the bonus is way too limited to have much of an impact.
(Image credit: Tyler C. / Blizzard)

All eyes on The Gauntlet
(Image credit: Blizzard)

Underpowered bonuses—thatBlizzard rushes to patch days later—are a theme of season 3 so far. While I’m enjoying the season overall and don’t think an event alone would ruin it, I’m crossing my fingers that the upcoming leaderboard dungeon doesn’t feel as thin.
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The problem isn’t how long it takes to fix things, it’s why they come out that way in the first place.
The problem isn’t how long it takes to fix things, it’s why they come out that way in the first place.
Diablo 4 has made huge improvements since it launched, but season 3 keeps introducing things that feel like a step backward until Blizzard starts fixing them a few days later. The problem isn’t how long it takes to fix them, it’s why they come out that way in the first place. Overwatch suffers from a similar problem where updates are inexplicably inconsistent with what came before, messing with everyone’s expectations. Itsnewest herolaunched without any free (to earn) Legendary skins, something that was a guarantee since the original game. So when these games nudge you to invest in the battle pass or log in for a new event or buy a skin, it starts to feel like playing the game isn’t the top priority. And with Microsoftlaying off 1,900 Activision Blizzard developers,many of whom were keeping the live service trains going, it’s hard not to get worried about the future.
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