You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide David Brevik, the creator of Diablo, has plenty of experience with live-service development. From his regret-filled departure from Marvel Heroes to his early plans for Diablo 3, Breviks career has evolved alongside what we now know as a live-service game.For many modern developers, including current head of Diablo Rod Fergusson, ARPGs and live-service go hand-in-hand. Some say the early success of ladders in Diablo 2 led to the rise of live-service later on, but Brevik believes theres a huge difference between players deciding to play a game as a lifestyle game and a game being designed around it.Diablo 2 didnt create live-serviceSpeaking on the latest episode of the VideoGamer Podcast, Brevik explains that the claims of Diablo kicking off live-service is probably true to some degree. However, when Diablo 2 was seeing massive online success in the early 2000s, that success wasnt coming because of continued updates, it was because the game was fun. Save Up to $1,200 on the Samsung Galaxy S25! Pre-order now and save big with trade-in and Samsung credit. Limited time only! *Includes trade-in value + $300 Samsung credit. The audience that played for the ladders and things like that, they were a hardcore audience, Brevik explained. But a great majority of the people who played Diablo 2 didnt play it as a lifestyle game to be on the ladders, they just played it as a lifestyle game because they enjoyed the game.Brevik believes that Diablo 2 eventually became kind of a lifestyle game but not in the same way they are now. As Diablo was exploding in popularity, MMOs like EverQuest and World of Warcraft were actually creating the foundations of what a live-service game would be. It just happened to be a formula that would slot into ARPGs very well more than a decade on. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now As for ARPGs like Diablo 2 being the origin of live-service, Brevik doesnt believe that to be true. While it is true that Breviks work on Hellgate: London and Marvel Heroes helped to popularise live-service ARPGs, even those games had inspiration from games like WoW.[Ladders are] not the same as some of the live-service games now where youre competing in this particular thing or youve got some kind of special mechanic for this season and youve got a season pass, Brevik said. That stuff didnt really come out of Diablo 2.Nowadays, Diablo 2 can be enjoyed as a live-service game. Project Diablo 2, which Brevik helps with occasionally, has seasons, new uber bosses and more coming to the game all the time. As Brevik explained, theres a great link between ARPGs and live-service, they slot together well, extremely well, but the genre can, has, and will, live without live-service.Diablo 2Platform(s):PCGenre(s):UnknownSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share