Will PvP Cause Diablo 3 to Thrive or Crumble?

With the new Diablo 3 expansion, Reaper of Souls, unveiling at midnight, many enthusiastic D3 patrons are gathered around his/her monitor, bracing for a caffeine-infused night of exploration. 

A new story line, artisan, class type and more are just a few of the Reaper of Souls features highlighted in the newly publicized trailer available on the Reaper of Souls’ official YouTube channel.

However, developers and producers continue to dodge the question many D3 advocates have been waiting for: PvP. 

Talk of Diablo 3 PvP is Still Alive

In a recent statement, Alex Mayberry made it very clear that PvP is not a dead subject:

“We are still talking about it. The thing to clarify is it has nothing to do with a lack of desire to do it. It really has to do with taking this game, underneath which lies an engine of randomness. With PvP, having everything be random and unbalanced isn’t what people want. So we have to find a way to really exploit the way the engine works in a way that doesn’t create a terribly unequal playing field.”

During a recent interview with IGN, Mayberry states that PvP in D3 is something that the entire team wants to accomplish, but that it will be no easy task. The perfect PvP element to D3 will have to synergize correctly with the rest of the recent changes. 

Is This the Right Direction for D3?

“PvP, if we do it, we’d have to go all in.”

When I think of Diablo 3, the first word that comes to mind is fragile. 

Much like World of Warcraft, Blizzard has tugged on the heartstrings of many loyal D3 players. After the infamous crash-and-burn of the auction house, the negative controversy surrounding the game skyrocketed. Although the large smudge on Blizzard’s reputation seemed irreversible, the removal of the auction house, and many other changes, restored faith in a large majority of the D3 audience.  

The problem in question now is whether or not D3 could handle another blow to its feeble recovery. There’s a good chance that PvP could either make or break the game. 

All In Or Not At All

While “brawling” was released in patch 1.0.7 last year, this duel-style PvP leaves many players, including me, wanting more. I would personally love to see a PvP ladder, but I believe the only way for a system to work would be exactly how Alex Mayberry stated it:

“PvP, if we do it, we’d have to go all in.”