Diablo 4 fans know the feeling: you level for hours, get an epic new item – and the monsters in front of you are still just as tough as before. Blizzard wants to tackle this exact problem differently with the upcoming Diablo 5. In an interview with PC Gamer, Diablo 5 Director Joe Shely explained that the monster level scaling in the next installment will “take a somewhat different approach” than in Diablo 4, so that your own character actually feels noticeably stronger as the game progresses.
What Was the Problem with Monster Scaling in Diablo 4?
Since its release in 2023, automatic level scaling has been one of the most criticized systems in Diablo 4. Because monsters in large parts of the world scale with your character, the combat experience remained almost identical over many hours of gameplay – players described it as “rubberband progression,” where you never truly feel more powerful despite new levels and better equipment. The criticism was so loud that it is still being discussed in official Blizzard forums to this day. Blizzard has already responded multiple times in past seasons with adjustments, for example by making Nightmare Dungeons no longer automatically scale with the player, but rather be controlled via Sigil levels. Even current content, like our Season 15 article on Hell’s Legacy, shows that Blizzard continues to refine Diablo 4's progression, but the fundamental scaling principle remains.
How Will the New System Specifically Work in Diablo 5?
In the interview, Joe Shely clarifies his focus: Diablo thrives on the player's character objectively becoming stronger with each level-up and every good item – and this feeling should not be hindered by monsters that automatically scale up at the same moment. Automatic scaling, Shely explains, can undermine this core enjoyment of the genre. As a possible reference point, the report mentions the older system from Diablo 2, which used fixed level ranges per area: players could eventually truly “overpower” early zones and feel noticeably superior there, instead of perpetually staying on par with enemies. Blizzard has not yet presented a finalized system for Diablo 5, but Shely's statements clearly point towards a less automatic, and thus more predictable, power dynamic between character and game world.
What Does This Mean for Diablo Players Right Now?
It's important to note: Diablo 5 was only recently officially announced and is expected to be released no earlier than 2029, so the new scaling system is still far from its final implementation. For Diablo 4 players, nothing changes in the short term – Blizzard has already committed to continuing to provide content for the current game until the successor's release. Editorially, however, we interpret these statements as a positive signal: The fact that Joe Shely so openly addresses the Diablo 4 scaling criticism shows that Blizzard is genuinely taking the problem seriously and isn't just looking for cosmetic fixes. Whether this will ultimately lead to the satisfying feeling of power from Diablo 2 remains to be seen.
Source: PC Gamer
What do you think of Diablo 4's monster scaling – a curse or a blessing? Let us know in the comments!
Comments (0)
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.