Last Epoch Season 2 should have Diablo 4 fans worried – but not for the reason you think

Diablo 4 just got disrespected in the funniest way. Its competitor, Last Epoch, delayed an update to dodge Path of Exile 2 – but didn’t even flinch at Diablo 4 Season 8’s release date.

Diablo has ruled the ARPG world since 1996. It set the standard for dungeon crawling, loot, and combat. But Diablo 4 has struggled, with even the Diablo creator chiming in to say it “cheapens the entire experience.”

Now, Blizzard is amping up the grind. Season 8, set to launch on April 15, cranks up difficulty after Diablo’s creator called the game too easy. Slower leveling, tougher bosses, and near-impossible challenges are coming. Blizzard hopes this revives interest, but only time will tell if it’ll work or just alienate its casual player base.

Last Epoch originally planned to launch Season 2 on April 2 before Path of Exile 2 announced a massive April 4 update. Last Epoch panicked and pushed its update to April 17, with the devs saying they wanted to give space to their “friends in the ARPG space.”

Blizzard Entertainment

Last Epoch S2 pushed to make space for POE2 but not Diablo 4

The problem is Diablo 4’s Season 8 is expected to launch on April 15 – just two days before Last Epoch’s new date. Yet, Last Epoch didn’t budge. It seems they don’t see Diablo 4 as a real threat.

Last Epoch’s developers posted on X:

“Hello Travelers, We’ve recently learned that our friends in the ARPG space have chosen a release date just a couple days after ours which would divide the player base and hinder the success of our Season 2 launch. Last Epoch is still a smaller studio… It is with a heavy heart we are forced to move our release date… to April 17.”

Notice the concern for Path of Exile 2. Notice the complete lack of concern for Diablo 4.

Diablo 4 has numbers but lacks depth. Last Epoch has smart mechanics but a smaller fanbase. Path of Exile 2 is the titan in the room, drawing all of the attention. With this scheduling shuffle, the message is clear: Last Epoch fears PoE2 but not Diablo 4.

Diablo 4 has strong numbers but could use more depth. Last Epoch offers smart mechanics but serves a more niche audience. Path of Exile 2 looms large, drawing significant attention. With this scheduling shift, it seems clear that Last Epoch is mindful of PoE2’s impact – Diablo 4, less so.