"I wish D4 was a Diablo-like" Fans react to Blizzard executive's tweet on ARPG classification

The term "Diablo-like" was discussed on X.com by Diablo Brand Manager Rod Fergusson. The executive and game developer felt that perhaps other ARPGs (Action RPGs) should have a more normalized title, much like we have for Souls-likes and Rogue-likes. However, the game developer felt that the genre should be named for Blizzard’s hit series.

Unfortunately, “Diablo-like” didn’t really catch on with the internet as Rod Fergusson might have liked. Instead, it was met with derision and jokes at best. One X user even had this to say about the most recent game in the series:

“I wish D4 was a Diablo like”

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Fans react to Rod Fergusson’s ARPG tweet concerning "Diablo-likes"

The concept of a “Diablo-like” tag was not something the internet took well after Rod Fergusson’s tweet on November 21, 2024. While his thought has a bit of merit—the franchise may not have been the first ARPG, but it certainly did revolutionize the formula—there are other major ARPGs that have made their own mark on the genre. Here’s what Rod Fergusson had to say:

"Feels like the genre of ‘ARPG’ is starting to mean a lot of different things. Much like “Souls-like” and “Rogue-like”, I wonder if we could normalize “Diablo-like” for ARPGs that follow the Diablo formula…”

There's been quite a bit of discussion around the tweet—with some thinking Rod Fergusson's not the right person to make this claim (Image via X/@Thomasmahler, @talos_bane)

Long-time fans and even other game developers weighed in on the statement. Thomas Mahler, designer and director of Ori and the Blind Forest among other titles, responded to the tweet, saying that David Brevik saying this would give the take more weight.

For those not familiar with the name, David Brevik is the creator of Diablo. The game dev pointed out that Rod Fergusson hasn’t had much to do with the genre until they joined Blizzard, so it doesn’t really make sense for him to make the declaration. Others suggested that the Blizzard executive could have congratulated Path of Exile 2 for its recent success, instead of this tweet.

Fans weren't really on-board with the tweet, with some being meaner than others (Image via X/@JezCordon, @NicholasCatry2, @Sarkiology, @Astrylz)

While some on X were offering rational discussion on the ARPG genre and whether or not “Diablo-like” has any real point at all, others decided to crack jokes, referencing Path of Exile 2’s stash system or how they feel about the current state of Diablo 4 instead.

Others still talked about D4’s incredibly expensive microtransactions. Another of the X users pointed out that Diablo 1 and 2 would certainly fall under that banner, but the following games felt more like “arcadey ARPGs” instead.

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Diablo, as a franchise, certainly did a lot to modernize and shake up the ARPG genre. It’s far from the first one to ever exist, though. It wouldn’t be fair to call them “Diablo-likes” when there are other equally popular, equally revolutionary ARPGs in the genre. If it was simply to get people talking, the tweet certainly succeeded.