Diablo 4 has a new video summarising its endgame, showing off what you can expect to do once the main storyline has been completed.
How Blizzard Entertainment plans to keep Diablo 4 ticking over as a live service game has been discussed over oodles of blog posts and videos since it was revealed, though this new video is a neat summary if you haven't been keeping up and are coming in fresh off the beta - or if, like me, you're just forgetful.
Blizzard explains in the video that it wants players to have options over how they progress in the endgame. You'll be able to keep progressing through the narrative of Diablo 4, and there will be plenty of activities to keep you busy, too.
Once the story is completed, you'll gain access to a Capstone Dungeon that'll allow you to unlock your next world tier. Moving up a level means that enemies out on the map are tougher, though they'll offer greater rewards. Alongside gold, experience, and better loot, for example, being on World Tier 3 means you can find Nightmare Sigils which unlock Nightmare Dungeons.
Speaking of which, each one of Diablo 4's myriad dungeons can be turned into its Nightmare variant. Expect additional objectives and tougher foes with certain affixes sparking random occurrences, like a hell gate that enemies from another area will pour out of. Naturally, the prize for coming out on top is greater loot.
Players got to see how dungeons appear in the early game during the recent betas, which led plenty to flag concerns that the layout and objectives proved a tad too similar. In response, Blizzard said that the similarities are intentional, adding that we shouldn't "be too quick to judge" as there's still more to come, such as the Nightmare Dungeons seen in the new video.
You've also got plenty to do out on the open-world map, such as enter the Fields of Hatred to fight demons and other players to make it out with good loot, and Helltide events, which is like the former but without the ability to screw over other players.
Of course, you've also got more build-focused avenues to pursue such as the Paragon Board, offering plenty of power buffs to hone your build. You'll come across aspects in dungeons that form part of the Codex of Power system, which is useful for powering up gear with special traits.
Blizzard's video summary of Diablo 4's endgame comes hot on the heels of two betas focused on the early game. Alongside some new visuals and a neat layout of what we know about the endgame, this gives some idea of where ideas planted in the early game will lead. The devs are keen to stress that Diablo 4's endgame offerings will grow with time, though this is already a decent tease at what you're getting at launch.
Responding to the Diablo 4 community's time sink worries, Blizzard reaffirms character respeccing won't be "prohibitively expensive".
