In the demon-infested, dark-fantasy world of Diablo 4, players can face a myriad of monstrous threats, from Lilith to The Butcher. But, while most players are armed to the teeth and prepared to take on these monstrosities, no one really sees the supposedly harmless Treasure Goblins as a theory – until now.
These enemies, which can’t attack and usually flees at the sight of a player if not killed for loot immediately, have suddenly become more dangerous than Uber Lilith herself in Diablo 4, partly thanks to the most recent patch.
In an unlikely turn of events, several high-level Hardcore Mode characters report meeting their untimely demise at the tiny hands of this unassuming enemy, leading players to issue warnings not to fall victim to this unassuming dangerous running rampant in the Nightmare Dungeons of Diablo 4.
All of this hullabaloo started with Killthuzad, who met their grim fate while battling a Treasure Goblin in a tier 37 Nightmare Dungeon with the Death Pulse affix enabled—a modifier that makes monsters emit a lethal lightning pulse upon death. To the player’s shock, their character was annihilated by a Death Pulse from the defeated Treasure Goblin.
In Diablo 4’s Hardcore Mode, character death is permanent, leaving players in anguish as their painstakingly nurtured and cared-for characters vanish forever, sometimes due to circumstances beyond their control. Such devastating incidents have not been isolated; multiple instances of similar occurrences have emerged, leading players to suspect that the Treasure Goblin Death Pulse is erroneously causing far more damage than intended.
Notably, the Diablo 4’s Hall of Fallen Heroes—a commemorative space documenting lost Hardcore characters—records that these peculiar deaths are caused by an “unknown killer”, further fueling speculations of a bug.
Following backlash from the understandably angry community, Blizzard confirmed with Kotaku the existence of a bug causing these lethal Death Pulses, with a commitment to rectify it in a forthcoming patch. Until the patch is rolled out, the once-celebrated appearance of a Treasure Goblin now instills dread among players, especially those brave enough to face the perils of Hardcore mode.
Diablo 4, despite its immense success as Blizzard’s fastest-selling game, and its well-received game dynamics, has its fair share of glitches. This Treasure Goblin anomaly underscores the inevitable hiccups encountered in even the most successful of games. The Treasure Goblin episode also highlights the value of an active player community, capable of identifying and raising awareness about game-breaking issues.
Until Blizzard exorcises this bug, players are advised to tread carefully around these deceptive loot-dispensers or risk being their next victim.
In the ominous words of one concerned player: “No loot is worth your life.”
