Summary
Diablo 4seems to be dealing with a duping problem, as Blizzard developers have disabled trading indefinitely to address the latest exploit. Item and gold duplication was a problem that plaguedDiablo 2for most of its history, and some duping methods have even survived to this day. Understandably, the ability to clone powerful or expensive items is a dangerous threat to any game’s economy, and as seen withAmazon’sNew Worldand its trading post woes, it can almost irreparably damage the legitimacy of an online title.
Compared toDiablo 2, the trading system inDiablo 4is quite rudimentary, as players cannot trade Legendary or Unique items among themselves. Any semblance of a marketplace is external, with no in-game support, and primarily centered around powerful Rare items that can become powerful Legendaries. Though it’s a step-up fromReaper of Souls, many players have complained about the current state of trade, as the limitations prevent them from helping their friends out, or evenearn some extra gold inDiablo 4to feed the exorbitant costs of enchanting.
RELATED:Blizzard Bans Thousands of Diablo 4 Players
However, Blizzard had announced on the official forums that trading of any kind inDiablo 4would be suspended until further notice. Community response has fluctuated towards ambivalence, as fewDiablo 4players actively engaged in the item trade, while others have used it as an example that the game still has serious problems two months after launch. The overwhelming success of feature-complete titles such asBaldur’s Gate 3has done little to foster sympathy from theDiablo 4community, as many fans feel that it will take too long for Blizzard to address the game’s major flaws such as itemization or endgame.
As bleak as the current situation may sound, it cannot be disputed that Patch 1.1.1 has been a step in the right direction, as it added highly-requested changes such as increased mob density, guaranteed Legendary drops fromDiablo 4’s Treasure Goblins, and buffs to certain classes that sorely needed it. Though one could argue thatDiablo 3was in an even bigger mess at launch, it is nonetheless disappointing to many Blizzard fans that the company has fallen into the same pitfalls it faced in 2012.
The lack of trade will not affect theendgame inDiablo 4by a considerable margin, and while it is commendable that Blizzard will punish the abusers for the sake of upholding fairness, the incident has exposed another longterm problem for the developers to solve: building on the game’s social features. For an online title,Diablo 4players aren’t incentivized to group up or interact with each other beyond joining for random events in the open world. The primary connection that they have with its online features is with the microtransactions store and Battle Pass. An official in-game marketplace, or even global chat channels, would certainly help liven up the experience for many players, no matter the platform.
Diablo 4is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
