Diablo boss triggers mass eyeroll after wondering out loud if 'we could normalize Diablo-like for ARPGs that follow the Diablo formula'

pcgamer.com:

Diablo is an ARPG, a term that is admittedly fraying at the edges like an overworn bag. We obviously mean different things when we talk about action RPGs like Diablo, and action RPGs like The Veilguard, but it's a genre descriptor we use nonetheless. It's like CRPGs—yes, CRPG means something specific (an isometric RPG with a big story that's typically either turn-based or uses real-time pause) but the words contained within the acronym are borderline useless. 'A roleplaying game you play on your computer' is about the broadest umbrella you can open without getting a call from NASA for mucking up their satellite images.

You could argue that, being the genesis of the genre, Diablo has the rights to a soulslike naming convention. Unless, of course, you're the general manager of the series at Blizzard, in which case wondering out loud about whether we could all pretty please start naming future ARPGs after you is, well, a little desperate. Cringe, as the kids might say.

Rod Fergusson, who manages Diablo at Blizzard, unfortunately committed this social faux pas on X recently, and it's gone down about as well as asking people if they don't have phones. «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…»

Fergusson has been well and duly ratio'd several times over in a dunking session that has me wincing. Some rapid-fire highlights: «How do you normalize 'Diablo-like' if no one likes Diablo 4?» replies Twitch streamer jungroan. «I don't think so,» adds Empyrian gaming. «PoE-like,» quips another. That's a hat trick, it's rough out there.

I think some of these people are being a little harsh on Diablo 4, given our own resident ARPGer Tyler Colp has positive words to say about the changes Blizzard has made since launch, but only a little. The audacity involved in walking into broad daylight and humming about whether your