Diablo 4 brings back NPC companions, but many details about this system in the new action RPG are still unclear. The developers have now provided a small insight into which direction it might go.
The new Diablo 4 plans to release on June 6, 2023 – so it will be another 6 months before we can show those damned demons their bloody limits.
Since the release is still a while away, not all details about the title are clear yet. There are still many questions about the endgame, including the companion or mercenary system.
In Diablo 2 & 3, you could organize, build, and equip NPC helpers. A popular system for solo players who then didn’t have to travel through the dark world all alone.
The developers have remained largely silent about how the companion system in Diablo 4 will look. However, during a play event, the colleagues from the US site “PCGamesN” managed to squeeze some information out of the developers.
You can find more about the game in our large information special on Diablo 4. A look at our trailer is also worth it:
Diablo 4: Companions – Seems to lean more towards Mercenaries
What have the developers said about it? They don’t want to reveal or promise too much at the moment. During the first play events of Diablo 4, it became clear that NPCs will occasionally fight on your side during the campaign. They will stay for one or two dungeons or missions.
It was quite similar in Diablo 3. Here, you also met companions during the campaign and completed a few missions with them.
More than these “campaign NPCs” is currently not being promised. However, PCGamesN has published a few more quotes from the developers during a play event (via pcgamesn.com):
For the launch version of the game we do have some places in the story in particular where you will have certain named NPCs following you and helping you out as you figure out what Lilith is doing in the world. […] We don’t have anything to announce about the Diablo 2-type follower that you hire – we’re sticking it to the campaign for now. […] stay tuned, we may have something in the future to announce but no promises.
For the release version, we have some places in the story where certain NPCs will follow you and help you to figure out what Lilith is doing in the world. […] We have nothing to announce about the Diablo 2-like follower that you hire – we are sticking to the campaign for now. […] Stay tuned, we may have something to announce in the future, but we promise nothing.
Lead Class Designer Adam Z. Jackson to PCGamesN
PCGamesN writes that another developer reacted suspiciously to this statement – Dungeon Producer Ash Sweetring. The US site suggests that the reaction was quite obvious.
Currently, it is still unsure whether and in what form a companion or mercenary system will play a role in Diablo 4. However, the statements made suggest such a system and it could lean more towards Diablo 2, that is, the mercenary system.
How does it work in Diablo 2? Throughout the story acts, you can hire different mercenaries. Depending on which act you hire the mercenary in, the NPCs have certain weapons and attributes that differ from one another.
As long as you have a mercenary with you, they level up with you. The starting level of the NPCs is determined by the chosen difficulty level and the current story act. Additionally, the NPCs have a few equipment slots to improve them.
If a mercenary goes down, the vendors associated with the system demand gold for a resurrection. If you want to get rid of the old mercenary, you can simply buy a new one.
Which system do you prefer? How would you bring NPC companions into the game? Do you even need that? Leave a comment on the subject.
If the companions only come in the endgame or at a high player level, then it will take a while before you encounter that: Diablo 4 is said to take 180 hours before you even reach max level
