In the interview about Season 4, MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was able to ask the developers of Diablo 4 some questions – including ones that deviated slightly from the topic. There were exciting answers, particularly regarding a feature from Diablo 2 that many fans wish for.
What are runewords?
- Runewords are particularly powerful items from Diablo 2, created through special gems: runes.
- Depending on the arrangement of the runes, a word is formed that becomes an item. Mistakes can also happen quite drastically.
- Diablo 4 is heavily oriented towards its predecessors, and there has already been talk about these items.
Are there runewords in Diablo 4? No, however, Blizzard showcased runewords for Diablo 4 at BlizzCon 2019. However, these have not made it into the game yet, at least not so far.
In preparation for Season 4, I was able to speak with lead seasons designer Deric Nuñez and lead game producer Timothy Ismay. Among other things, we discussed the question of what purpose white and blue items still fulfill with the new loot system in Season 4.
There has been a suspicion in the community for months that white items would eventually become important. Because these otherwise worthless weapons and armor were needed for runewords in Diablo 2.
You can find the answer here to what the season mechanics of Season 4 will actually be and what it means for all players. At BlizzCon, I already spoke with the executives about the future of Diablo 4:
“Back then, we were a fundamentally different game”
I pinned Tim Ismay down a bit on this question and asked several times. When asked about runewords in general, he said: “We loved runewords back in Diablo 2. It was such a cool gameplay system.”
If players want to see the system, they should provide that as feedback. People are reading it on Reddit, social media, in the game. They are always looking for new systems to bring in. But wait, weren’t they promised before the release?
There was a discussion about it a long, long time ago. I was there when we discussed it at BlizzCon. Ideas we had around itemization. Back then, we were a fundamentally different game.
Mythic items, for example, also do not exist. That was another thing. We have changed a lot since then.
It is a possibility. Runewords exist in the world of Sanctuary, but at the moment, we have built a different game.
Timothy Ismay in an interview with MeinMMO
Ismay’s response sounded a bit like he wants to hear the feedback from the community to have a reason to bring runewords into the game. So if this is your wish: Give feedback!
Regarding white items in general, it seems you can safely tidy up your inventory. The developer made it clear to me: such items are transitional items and at the moment they remain that way. Something else may be a topic in the future, but not now.
You can read the full interview with Tim Ismay and Deric Nuñez here on MeinMMO. There you will also find answers to the most important questions about Season 4, the new mechanics, and some topics that have been on the community’s mind for a while.
The Diablo chief, Rod Fergusson, recently also gave an interview. It was about the general future of Diablo 4 and what the team could learn from the past: Diablo chief talks about the state of Diablo 4 – Says exactly what fans don’t want to hear
