Diablo 4 Devs Explain Why Requested Map Feature Isn't Happening

Diablo 4 players looking for a way to quickly look at their map while playing apparently won't have access to a longtime map feature in the new game. Confirmed recently after the Diablo 4 team laid out its plans for how classes and other parts of the game would change, it's been said that there are "no plans" for a map overlay feature. Players were quick to request the feature and plead the case for why it should be included in the game, though there's been no indication yet that the devs will reverse course.

Rod Fergusson, the general manager of the Diablo series at Blizzard, first said on Twitter earlier in the month that there were no plans to add a map overlay. For reference, this is the feature that would bring up a semi-transparent map over your screen when pressing "tab" or some other input so that you could still generally keep an eye on what was going on in the game while also getting a quick look at the map to reorient yourself or guide your next move.

No plans at the moment.

— Rod Fergusson (@RodFergusson) April 14, 2023

Naturally, there were those who wanted this feature to be included in the game given that it has been present in past installments. So, if players want it in, and it's been in games in the past, why's it being omitted now?

The topic came up during the most recent livestream for the game where developers talked about this and other questions from players.

"So, when you're playing through an action RPG, and you're going through that core loop, you're basically switching between two modes of behavior. You're killing monsters, or you're navigating, and you're switching back and forth those really quickly, and so it can be helpful to have that be as fast as possible," said game director Joe Shelly.

Shelly said the overlay map accomplishes this goal, but it perhaps does that too well. There's no reason to ever close out of it, he said, and having both up at once makes the combat and navigation systems less clear because they're then intertwined with each other. To that end, the Diablo 4 team is going to focus more on things like the minimap as well as the pin system the map offers, though Shelly said the devs will continue to listen to feedback about that matter.