Blizzard EntertainmentAccording to a Diablo Immortal developer, the new Epoch of Madness content will introduce “light” but more impactful choices for players to make.
Diablo Immortal has dabbled with narrative-based choices in the past, as players who ventured into the Shattered Sanctuary questline were tasked with deciding the fate of the angel Verathiel.
Choosing to either spare the angel or end her suffering determined what role Verathiel played in the final boss fight against the Lord of Terror himself. This counted as but one way that player choice informed a short-term narrative outcome.
New details shared by Senior Narrative Designer Ryan Quinn reveal that the team’s exploration of decision-making is far from over.
Player choice matters more in Diablo Immortal’s Epoch of Madness
Blizzard’s 2025 content plan for Diablo Immortal revolves around an Epoch of Madness, a year-long arc featuring new quests and the return of the villainous Prince Albrecht.
Speaking with Game Rant, Ryan Quinn noted that most NPC interactions in the first quarter of the 2025 arc will center on “plot and drama.” Players will work with new people to make allies and gather information. Sometimes these alliances may result in defending NPCs, receiving aid from them, or even arbitrating disputes.
By the end of this quarter, players can expect to encounter “light choice-based ambient events.” Such moments will spawn from sitting down with various faction members and recounting story events, which will then lead to players offering counsel on how things should proceed.
Blizzard EntertainmentQuinn added, “This is similar to the choice in World’s Crown but on a much smaller scale, though with a longer-lasting effect. As you start participating in the region, even in small ways, we’re setting the flag for how your involvement might influence how these factions behave or view each other.”
While the choices won’t beget massive changes that drastically alter the narrative, Quinn said the team hopes they’ll at least let players have more agency while building their in-game relationships.
“This way, the impact of decisions made months ago can come to fruition in future quarters, something we haven’t really done much of in Diablo Immortal before,” the developer continued.
It’ll be interesting to see how this level of user choice plays out as the Epoch of Madness marches on. After all, some players already argue that Diablo 4 should borrow certain features from its mobile brethren. Perhaps this will eventually represent another element worth adopting for the mainline series.
