Is the Diablo 4 Beta an MMO? Answered

The Diablo series is one that many players hold dearest to them, as Blizzard Entertainment crafted a healthy and engaging blend of action-adventure RPG mechanics for many years. The latest entry, Diablo 4, is nearly upon us, and while it retains many of the series’ core design philosophies, it has raised many questions regarding what type of game it is, with MMO being a popular term floated around. If you’re unsure whether or not Diablo 4 is an MMO, here’s what you need to know.

Is Diablo 4 a Massively Multiplayer Online Game?

While Diablo 4 borrows many elements from MMO titles, it is not an MMO. The explanation on why it is not one comes directly from one of the developers back in 2020, when he talked about the multiplayer systems in Diablo 4:

“Our goal has always been to incorporate elements from shared world games without the game ever feeling like it’s veering into massively multiplayer territory. To be clear, this is a philosophy rather than a tech limitation. We find that the game stops feeling like Diablo and the world feels less dangerous when you see other players too often or in too high numbers.”

Guild Wars 2 and World of Warcraft are some of today’s biggest MMO titles, aka massively multiplayer online titles that throw hordes of players together to take on various activities and quests. While the Diablo series has adopted a similar gameplay loop, Blizzard has tried its best to avoid being labeled an MMO, as the studio wants to keep the game challenging and never force the player to feel like they have to party up to succeed.

Whether you’re playing the beta or the complete game, you’ll run into fellow players. Some social hubs will see your character knee-deep in waves of players, but once you leave, the road will be less populated, and the task of fighting back the demonic armies will be yours alone unless you party up.

That’s all you need to know about whether or not Diablo 4 is an MMO. For more tips and tricks regarding the latest entry in the Diablo series, read up on our related section below.