It’s been 25 years since Diablo II launched, and yet David Brevik still wishes they had never added that damn stamina bar to the game.
PC gamers will always remember Diablo II as an untouchable classic. But that nostalgic glow doesn’t necessarily extend to the developers who endured countless sleepless nights trying to get the sequel out the door.
David Brevik, along with Erich and Max Schaefer, poured blood, sweat, and tears into making Diablo II a reality. If you’ve read Jason Schreier’s Play Nice, the troubled development history of the franchise is plain as day. No Diablo game has ever been made without its fair share of drama.
Despite all the challenges and chaotic design debates, Diablo II turned out to be a brilliantly crafted ARPG: a title that still sets the bar not only in its genre but across the entire RPG landscape. And yet, there’s one part of the game that Brevik still passionately hates: the stamina bar.
That little white line in the center of the UI drains quickly in the early levels, leaving your character plodding through Diablo II’s large zones at a snail’s pace. While it becomes a non-issue later on thanks to leveling up and gear that virtually eliminate stamina concerns, in the early game it’s an annoying mechanic that Brevik now sees as a mistake.
In a recent conversation with Path of Exile co-creator Chris Wilson marking Diablo II’s 25th anniversary, Brevik didn’t hold back his criticism.
“I hate the stamina bar. Every time I see it, I feel embarrassed. It’s completely irrelevant later on but punishes new players hard. It’s like a noob tax.”
Originally, the bar was added to prevent players from endlessly fleeing fights. Unlimited sprinting, they feared, would let players just run away from monsters. But Brevik now admits that idea was flawed, as players don’t play Diablo to run away from monsters. They play to kill them.
So instead of being a meaningful tactical mechanic, stamina just became a frustrating speed bump. And even after 25 years, Brevik still regrets it.
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