David Brevik, a key figure behind the creation of the iconic Diablo series, has voiced concerns about the prevalent design philosophy of instant gratification in the action RPG (ARPG) genre. While Diablo remains a cornerstone of the ARPG landscape, Brevik believes the current trend towards rapid-fire pacing is detrimental to the core elements that initially propelled the genre's popularity.

Brevik's contributions to the Diablo franchise are substantial. He served as lead programmer and senior designer for the original Diablo (1997) and project and design lead for Diablo 2 (2000) before departing Blizzard Entertainment in 2003.  His career continued with notable projects like Marvel Heroes, and he currently leads Skystone Games, a company he co-founded in 2020.

In an upcoming episode of the VideoGamer Podcast, Brevik elaborates on his critique.  He argues that the rapid progression in modern ARPGs, characterized by constant loot drops and frequent level-ups, undermines the sense of achievement derived from reaching significant milestones. In contrast, older ARPGs offered a more measured approach to rewards, enhancing the value and significance of acquiring rare items.

According to VideoGamer, Brevik stated, “I think that RPGs in general have started to lean into this: kill swaths of enemies all over the place extremely quickly. Your build is killing all sorts of stuff so you could get more drops, you can level up [...] and the screen is littered with stuff you don’t care about.” This overabundance of loot, he implies, dilutes the sense of reward and progression.

Brevik's perspective carries weight, given his experience and influence within the genre.  He suggests that the constant stream of rewards in newer Diablo titles and other contemporary ARPGs diminishes the sense of accomplishment that came with overcoming challenges and obtaining valuable loot in earlier iterations.

Modern ARPG developers might benefit from considering Brevik's insights. While Diablo 4 achieved record-breaking sales for Blizzard upon its June 2023 release, becoming the company's fastest-selling game, it has also faced significant criticism from players.  The disparity between its commercial success and player reception is evident in its Metacritic user score of 2.5/10, compared to Diablo 2's user score of 8.8/10.  This discrepancy suggests a disconnect between the game's design and player expectations.