I wasn't there. I wasn't there 3,000 years ago when The Path of Exile Community fired up a war with the Diablo one, but I've read the treachery, perused the ancient libraries ripe with torn apart TOS, Titans crumbled and arised, hundreds perished, thousands injured, injured egos tarnished, social reputations, and torturous online arguments. Thousands more fell victim to the propaganda and became a mouthpiece for the Pro Poe crowd, infiltrating in-game spaces for Diablo fans. These stealthy operatives dared to utter an unimaginable, horrifying, truly Earth-shattering phrase, whose impact would be evident but immeasurable in the far-flung future: the phrase D3 back. Few who utter this utterly obscene phrase today know of its true origins, as they've repurposed it to refer to the latest, this Diablo title. No, no, not that one, ah, s this one, this one right here, Diablo 4. Yes, D4 bad is one of the most popular phrases in the entire

arpg space, and many players view it as a derogatory or outright inflammatory phrase. While others see it as far more benign and a reminder of what it originally meant. Don't be mad, we're going to get to the bottom of this and determine the origins of the phrase. D for bad. Who is right, who is wrong, and more importantly, which side comes out looking better because we all know appearances are what's most important, especially when it comes to t-shirts. I love shirts, especially graphic ones with rad art like this one of Zeus, or this one of Thor, or this green one with a little camp and Mountain. They're all beautiful, comfortable, and provided by into the am, the sponsor of today's video. I've been wearing these tees for months and months, and even with dozens of trips through the washer (yes, I clean my clothes quite often), they still look and fit as if I looted them from the ground just yesterday, unlike Diablo 4's launch endgame. I've tested these shirts thoroughly, running at least 50 m in them.

pushing quite a few reps too, and even long nights getting my kicked in Elden Ring. The shirts surviv them all. If you'd like to look good and become invincible, these are the te's for you. Use my link in the description or use my code talkative for a discount on all T's from into the amm. I get a nice bit of commission from every t-shirt bought, and I might even get some more sweet teas if enough of you help me out. There's also a Black Friday in July sale going on from July 10th to July 17th, so I'd recommend you grab some Wicked teas right after watching this video. Exiles, the buildup to Diablo II's release was massive. Way back in 2012, there hadn't been a new Diablo release for over a decade, with the last being Diablo I's Lord Of Destruction expansion. PC players in general and Blizzard game players specifically were quite excited for the next installment in the series, especially since Diablo II was originally supposed to be a thing right.

after the release of Lord of the destuction but internal and external struggles between blizzard North and its parent company led to a dissolution of the team and the cancellation of the original Diablo I. Back then, it was supposed to be yet another evolution of the world of Diablo and the arpg genre. Just as Diablo I was a huge step up from Diablo 1, many players expected the Diablo II of 2012 to meet those minimum expectations. They expected it to be revolutionary, just as D1 and D2 were more than a decade before. After all, this company, Blizzard, were the originators of the isometric arpg genre. How could this third installment not be innovative? [Music] Yeah, Diablo I's launch did not go well. While earlier betas were received relatively well, the actual releaseed mixed reviews and legions of criticism, particularly for its simplified game mechanics, Auction House system, visual design, and lack of endgame content. Compared to its predecessor, Diablo II was incredibly gamified, many statistics

did not matter, and most gear improvements were as simple as number go up. Additionally, crafting systems and famous items from D2 like Rune words were entirely removed in D3. So when mixed with the simple set of classes and their one-dimensional skill trees, there was very little customization from the player's perspective. And there was the auction house, which easily allowed you to buy the items that you needed with real or fake in-game currency. Hordes of players despise the actual money auction house, while a select few Q the asmin clip profited greatly and enjoyed Blizzard's implementation. A real easy and simple pay to win in a Diablo game. It didn't last more than 2 years, but by the time it was removed, the damage had already been done to many's wallets and the game's overall reputation. Of course, the visuals were laughed at from the very first look at D3. They were lighter and cartoony compared to the picturesque painterly style of previous Diablo titles, riff with vibrant colors and enemy design that didn't evoke the gritty dark.

atmosphere players expected. I won't even truly mention the butterflies and Deckard Kane. Oh, and do I talk about the ragdolls? I mean, I guess I'll show a few clips of it here and there, but the ragdolls, people had thoughts about that too. Finally and succinctly, the game also launched with nothing to do after beating the various campaign difficulties. There was no real character power customization or item hunt. The real money auction house was the real end game, and the world didn't beg people to return to its colorful LS. There were also no awesome real bosses to fight. All these disappointments built to an inflection point: the release of Path of Exile to the broader public with its closed-in open betas. Without a doubt, Path of Exile in 2012 and 2013 was a janky, endearing experience. Its visuals were choppy and very much in progress. The entire game wasn't even finished, and bugs or system issues like desync destroyed player experiences. However, after a famous World of Warcraft

Diablo I player named Aran Karan Karian, shined a spotlight on Path of Exile. Many D3 players, disappointed in the Diablo experience, flocked to PoE. While the exterior was jarring, the game had real meat, real potential, and players realized that, especially those seeking a spiritual successor and natural progression of Diablo. Path of Exile gained popularity quickly as a more complex and hardcore alternative to D3. Players and critics often contrasted the depth of character customization, skill tree complexity, and the free-to-play model of Path of Exile with the more streamlined and pay-to-play model of D3. However, it didn't end there. Players who deeply enjoyed Path of Exile and were dissatisfied with the taste D3 left in their mouths came back to Blizzard to their forums and in-game chat of D3 and began the chant, the meme D3 bad, PoE good. This meme statement encapsulated the

sentiment that Path of Exile offered a richer and more satisfying gaming experience for fans of the action RPG genre. As time passed, this meme persisted in discussions comparing the two games, even as both evolved with updates and expansions, especially as PoE kickstarted its growth and released Cadence. While those who still enjoyed D3 struggled to trudge to the next season or endure the wait for the game's two larger releases, the reason for the meme should be more and more evident by the moment. Not even with the well-received release of Diablo III's Reaper of Souls expansion, the phrase kept gaining momentum, and it would take on an entirely new meaning in November of 2018. Almost instantly, the meme was co-opted for the next Diablo announcement. Diablo Immortal was announced at BlizzCon 2018, and the announcement was met with massive backlash from fans and the general public. Fans were expecting news about Diablo IV after years of silence on the topic and the essential sunsetting of D3, and the reveal of a mobile game instead.

of a major new installment in the franchise led to widespread disappointment and feverish outrage. The infamous do you guys not have phones response from a Blizzard representative to the audience's negative reaction became a meme in of itself and symbolized the disconnect between the developers and the fan base. After years of intense community cross-development communication, this contrasted Blizzard starkly with Grinding Gear Games and Path of Exile. It seemed Blizzard had learned nothing from D3's launch for their next Diablo game when PoE kept evolving from the mistakes of it and its competitors. Like the early criticisms of Diablo I's real money Auction House, Diablo Immortal faced backlash for its aggressive monetization strategies, including microtransactions and severe pay-to-win elements. Again, fans felt that the gameplay was simplified to suit mobile platforms, echoing the complaints about D3 simplifications compared to its predecessor. Diablo I. Similarly, the expectation for a true Diablo experience on PC or consoles was just not met, just like how Diablo II failed to meet the

community's expectations, especially at launch. With the continued success and positive reception of Path of Exile, the comparison persisted and mounted. Fans who preferred PoE's depth and complexity saw Diablo Immortal as another step in the wrong direction for the Diablo franchise, reinforcing the D3 bad, PoE good meme and evolving it to include Diablo Immortal bad, PoE good. As time progressed, this meme evolved to encapsulate the broader frustrations with Blizzard's handling of the entire Diablo franchise. It continued to be shorthand for expressing disappointment with the direction of Diablo games post-Diablo III. Diablo Immortal was simply the latest example in the series of perplexing missteps. Unfortunately for Blizzard and Diablo enjoyers, the biggest disappointment and dunking was yet to come. [Music] After the mixed reception of Diablo III and the backlash implicit with Diablo Immortal, there were ridiculously high expectations for Diablo IV. Fans hoped it would return to the darker, grittier roots of the series and offer deeper, more complex gameplay akin to Diablo II. The announcement cinematic caused these

expectations to skyrocket. Hype was indeed overflowing, as is often the case after classic Blizzard cinematic reveals, and the developers promised this would be a return to D2's gameplay elements, to its aesthetic, to those vibes, and did not deliver. At the end of the day, even leading up to Diablo 4's release, there were some concerns based on early previews and developer updates. D4 was going to be a live service game with a box price and additional purchasable expansions with battle passes too. There were worries that Diablo 4 might adopt a monetization model similar to Diablo Immortal, including microtransactions and live service pay-to-win elements. This turned out to be almost entirely false, at least thus far, but the concerns were real back then, especially since Blizzard explicitly said you could not buy power in Diablo Immortal, and that was a lie. Then, given the history with Diablo II and Diablo Immortal, there was skepticism about whether Diablo I would deliver the complex gameplay and character customization that long-time

fans desired there was a serious hunger to return to something a bit deeper all at 2 not on the level of Poe but something closer to former expectations for D3. Finally, upon the game's actual release, Diablo 4 received a serious mix of praise and criticism, leading to the continuation and evolution of Diablo. Bad peee good why well for pros many players appreciated the return to darker aesthetics, the open-world design, and the improved storytelling. These elements were seen as a step in the right direction compared to Diablo I. However, soon some pros like the story in open world would leak into the con category as players dove deeper and deeper into the gameplay loop. For cons, they were what you would expect. There were complaints about the depth and variety of endgame content. Most players felt certain classes or builds were overpowered or just purely underpowered, greatly affecting gameplay balance, competition, and game feel. Also, while not as aggressive as Diablo Immortal, there were still concerns about in-game purchases and the potential for future

monetization strategies, with expansions, and potential pay-to-win power creep, and lastly character customization. In terms of gameplay, was not fast and quite one-dimensional, whether it came to items, class skill trees, or the endgame Paragon system. As with Diablo I and Diablo Immortal, Path of Exile continued to serve as a benchmark for what some fans considered a superior action RPG experience, especially when it came to setting player expectations. The ongoing updates and expansions to PoE, including its complex skill tree, deep endgame content, and robust free-to-play model, kept it in a favorable light compared to Blizzard's D4 offering. Alongside PoE1's success, Path of Exile 2's development was going swimmingly. There were delays, significant ones, but the incredible polish, depth, and care Grinding Gear Games were putting into PoE2 was evident. If PoE wasn't considered a big enough competitor to some, there was no denying Path of Exile 2 would be a massive threat to Diablo 4. Once it released, PoE2 would have more than 100 bosses on launch, each of them

seemingly putting 95% of D4's bosses to shame, PE2 would boast ridiculous character customizability. From its set of 12 character classes to the 36 ascendency classes and the 200+ active skill gems present, then it had launched with a fleshed out endgame based on the years and years of content added to Path of Exile 1, setting itself up to be the best launch ARPG endgame ever. Thanks to the C in comparisons to PE1 and 2, the D3 bad and Diablo Immortal bad, PE good meme thus evolved to include D4 bad among huge sads of the community. Still, this shorthand was used to express dissatisfaction with aspects of D4 that did not meet player expectations, perpetuating the idea that Blizzard's Diablo titles post Diablo I were not living up to the franchise's Legacy. Succinctly, while Diablo 4 managed to address some of the criticisms aimed at its predecessors, the Diablo bad meme persisted due to lingering concerns and

ongoing comparisons with Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2. Even last Epoch managed to slip in there for a bit as well when it released in full in February 2024. As a big plus, Blizzard and the D4 devs have continued to put blood, sweat, and tears into the development of Diablo 4 far more development than either D2 or D3 ever received during their time in the sunlight. With the success of loot reborn in the eyes of many and the big vessel of hatred expansion on the horizon, D4 seems to be in pursuit of quite the Redemption Arc. I wish it, its core players, its devs, and all the D4 super fans the absolute best. We could use more competition in the market, and the better Diablo is, the better all games will do. A rising tide lifts all ships. [Applause] So this all boils down to one simple idea: people have high expectations for the games Blizzard puts out. It's a remnant of the past, a memory of a time

when they were the premier game development Studio. Heroes emerged from that studio and crafted games of Legend titles that people still blast to this day or months and years on end. Unfortunately, neither Diablo I, Diablo Immortal, or Diablo 4 lived up to the expectations of players, at least initially. Of the three, D4 was likely the largest disappointment of all at launch, with the huge anticipation leading up to its release. However, as time progresses, they seem to be making strides in the right direction in the eyes of many players, although it does seem to be moving further and further from what original fans thought made Diablo II and other Blizzard titles great games. On the other hand, Path of Exile was set up for success. People expected nothing from these dudes who stepped out of college and decided to make a game after founding a studio in their home country of New Zealand. No one expected the game to be a true treasure, a serious successor to the brilliance showcased by earlier titles ARPG players came to know and love. Thus, when expected hits

faltered and expected failures smashed expectations players took the opportunity to craft a simple but biting message out of it. This game, Path of Exile, is good, and the other game, Diablo I, is bad. It then evolved from Diablo I to Diablo Immortal, and then to Diablo 4. It's not meant as an attack on the players of Diablo. It's not meant to hurt others or be rude. It's meant as a form of protest against the type and quality of game Blizzard now puts out in comparison to the titles that Grinding Gear Games works on, nothing more, nothing less. I'd say if everyone understood this history and the true reason for the meme, they'd understand why some people use it in the way they do. They'd get why people say Diablo bad and realize for the people saying it, they are 100% in the right. For them, their memory of Diablo, their expectations for Diablo, they've not been treasured or met in the present, and that hurts them. Now, Grinding Gear Games is

kind of setting themselves up for potential disappointment with the substantial hype and expectations set for Path of Exile 2. Will they fail to deliver as Blizzard has with the last three Diablo games, or will they buck the trend? My stash full of divine orbs is on the left, my fellow Exiles. Thank you for watching this video, and big thanks to its sponsor, Into The AM. Hit the like button to send happy signals to the YouTube algorithm. Subscribe to the channel for more pee content, and make sure you hit that sub notification bell. Also, leave a comment below: Is this an accurate retelling of the Diablo bad meme? Why or why not? Additionally, tremendous thanks to all my supporters on Patreon, YouTube, and Twitch who keep the channel going. You can support for $1 a month; more information can be found in the links below. That's all for this video. See you in the next one. Salak. [Music] [Music]

D4 BAD, POE GOOD is a Mutilated Meme...Why?

Path of Exile's most positive and unhinged content creator.