Diablo 4 dev shares sage advice for players who don't like PvP: Just don't go to PvP

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"I recommend just not walking into areas that are marked as Fields of Hatred"

Diablo 4
(Image credit: Blizzard)

The PvP in Diablo games has always felt kind of vestigial and unbalanced, and Diablo 4 PvP is no exception. Fortunately, Adam Fletcher, Diablo's global community development director, recently released a step-by-step guide for those who just aren't feeling PvP.

In response to a post from Fletcher acknowledging a small issue, disgruntled Twitter user Crizzo recently requested the option to disable PvP entirely. If you remember the best post from the official Doom account, you'll understand the vibe of Fletcher's response: "To do that, follow these steps: 1) Don't walk into optional areas on the map called 'Fields of Hatred.'"

Undeterred, Crizzo insisted on "the option to disable [PvP] so I can enjoy the entire map of the game I paid for." This argument doesn't hold up to any interrogation since these PvP areas were clearly detailed ahead of Diablo 4's release, don't contain any must-see content in the first place (arguably barring a few altars), and are often so devoid of players that you can easily pass through unscathed. Fletcher minced no words: "There are no plans to disable PvP. Again, I recommend just not walking into areas that are marked as Fields of Hatred." 

Finally out of complaints, Crizzo relented: "Fair enough." 

The idea of disabling PvP in optional PvP zones built specifically for PvP, all on behalf of a few naysayers (or indeed one), is amusing on its face, and the Diablo 4 subreddit had endless fun with the exchange. That said, the bigger conversation about different elements of live service games is genuinely interesting. For the unsure: if you aren't having fun with something, you don't have to play it. Too many people have seemingly convinced themselves otherwise. 

Diablo 4 players are turning on its once most-popular class after struggling for weeks.  

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.