With the Vessel of Hatred, Blizzard introduced its first Raid – the Dark Citadel – in hopes of giving players a better and more fun, varied endgame loop. But was it really a success? How do players feel about it after more than six months? Let’s dive into it and do a recap.

What and Where Is the Dark Citadel?

Deep in the heart of Nahantu, the Dark Citadel is a cooperative dungeon designed for 2-4 players, with 4 being the recommended party size. To succeed, the group must work together to defeat a series of challenging bosses that demand good coordination. After reaching level 60, players can do a small quest to unlock access to the Dark Citadel and the Rise of Khazra Waypoint.

Can You Solo It?

This is probably the most asked question, and the short and direct answer is no. Certain mechanics prevent solo progression, making a group essential. This problem got picked up by the Diablo 4 Reddit lately, pointing out that most players play for themselves and prefer not being pushed into content with others.

Especially at the end of a season it might be really difficult to find more players to complete the raid. The “Party Finder” remains underutilized by many, and Diablo 4 isn’t perceived as a social game. One potential solution, as suggested by WarOtter, could be allowing mercenaries to assist in completing the raid. Some players even claim they have yet to clear The Dark Citadel due to these group restrictions.

So Is There Any Point to It?

Despite many negative aspects, which we will tackle in a bit, there are a few good and interesting concepts about having a raid in Diablo 4. Let’s take a look at them.

• While many players disagree with the group requirement, some players did enjoy playing with their friends.
• Boss fights require coordination and the complexity of them is a welcoming change to the normal gameplay loop.
• It provides an additional challenge after reaching level 60.
• Though niche, the raid tells a unique story, adding depth to the game’s lore.

What Didn’t Work Out?

We already pointed out that it isn’t content for anyone who prefers to play solo, but what other problems does the first raid of Diablo 4 have?

• Not all players have the time or desire to coordinate with groups.
• The “Party Finder” wasn’t accepted very well by the community, which leads to an even bigger problem of finding players for cooperative content.
• Learning fights together alongside random players might not be very appealing to most.
• Locking exclusive rewards, especially cosmetics, behind a raid is very frustrating. 

Learn More

Want to dive deeper into The Dark Citadel or need help defeating it? Check out our guide to conquer the raid and claim victory!