Diablo 4 solo players worry Dark Citadel mode will force co-op play

A contingent of Diablo 4 players are worried that the game’s upcoming cooperative mode, Dark Citadel, might not let them play solo.

At Gamescom 2024, Blizzard unveiled more information about Diablo 4’s upcoming Vessel of Hatred expansion, with one brief announcement centering on an all-new cooperative mode, Dark Citadel.

Blizzard has separated this endgame challenge into three Wings, each filled with demonic forces to fight, secrets to uncover, and a formidable final boss. Completing the Citadel will reward players with exclusive items like cosmetics.

Developers stated in an ‘Inside the Game‘ video that Dark Citadel permits two-player teams, though four-player groups constitutes the ideal way to tackle the challenge.

While this inspired the creation of the much-coveted party finder system, some solo players worry the new mode may leave them hanging out to dry.

After details about Dark Citadel started making the rounds, one Diablo 4 Forums user said they don’t plan on “spending 40 dollars when the devs turn [D4] into forced grouping for part of the content.”

The concern is that, regardless of the new group finder feature, solo players would much rather enjoy the same content by themselves.

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Wrote someone responding to a comment about the group finder being a solution: “The problem isn’t finding a group it’s having to be in a group.”

One person argued against the bubbling backlash, saying Diablo 4 doesn’t have to cater to every player all the time. To which another user noted that Dark Citadel would mark the first time in franchsie history a piece of content has required group play.

However, many others plan on withholding judgment until more concrete details surface. Blizzard hasn’t confirmed whether solo Diablo 4 players will be able to take part in Dark Citadel without teaming up with others.

As such, the hope is that individuals uninterested in co-op will get to hire Mercenaries or other companions to help navigate the challenges.