Diablo 4 beta players are fed up with the always online requirements, calling on the devs to make it possible to play offline. This comes as the Diablo servers have struggled to keep up with demand, leaving players to deal with long queues and frequent disconnections.
In aid of this, Diablo 4 fans want to be able to boot up the game in offline mode if they're not planning to use any of the online features. Similar complaints were made towards Diablo 3, which required a constant internet connection to play on PC. It remains to be seen if the devs act on this feedback for Diablo 4's full release.
"I don't plan to play any multiplayer, and my experience during the betas was so frustrating," says Reddit user SidewaysFancyPrance, in a discussion on a possible offline mode for Diablo 4. "I put in a few hours and am going to cancel my pre-order."
Many others agree, all having their own reasons to want an offline mode. This most frequent is, of course, not having a reliable internet connection, but this isn't the only argument being cited.
Anyone else wish there was an offline mode?
by u/Travismt01 in diablo4
"[I'm] afraid I won’t really be able to enjoy D4," says Captain_CatDad "I’m a dad who works from home and NEEDS to be able to pause game. I’m pissed, honestly."
Others are also frustrated that their kills keep getting stolen by other players, making it harder for them to find something to do in the beta. It's possible this will be addressed before the full launch on June 6, however.
Despite this, others understand the benefits of playing a game that is always online. For example, it's a little less taxing on your setup, as your PC isn't left to do all of the work. Some also say an offline mode could create too much work for the devs, since they would have to account for players switching from online to offline frequently.
Given previous comments from devs, it seems unlikely that either the PC or console releases will get an offline mode when the game launches this summer. Although it remains to be seen if that changes due to player feedback.