# A Diablo 3 mechanic discarded because “it was not fun” found the perfect place in World of Warcraft

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/a-diablo-3-mechanic-discarded-because-it-was-not-fun-found-the-perfect-place-in-world-of-warcraft/
- Published: 2026-11-03T17:39:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T10:51:16+00:00
- Original publisher: GamesRadar+
- Original article: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/world-of-warcraft/a-diablo-3-mechanic-blizzard-removed-because-it-was-not-fun-was-redeemed-in-a-popular-world-of-warcraft-raid/
- Topics: Gaming

## Key points

- A rejected Diablo 3 idea found a better fit in World of Warcraft.
- Four Anubisath Sentinels each chose from eight abilities.
- The encounter worked because players could pay attention to enemy abilities.

## Summary

A combat mechanic designed for Diablo 3 was dropped after internal testing found it unfun, but later became central to a World of Warcraft raid encounter. Former Blizzard game director Wyatt Cheng says the idea worked once it was moved into a game where players could better notice and respond to enemies’ abilities.

The original concept gave each of four enemies an ability that passed to the others when it died, but Diablo players often focused on fast kills and loot, so the transfers went unnoticed. In World of Warcraft’s Temple of Ahn’Qiraj, Cheng adapted it for the Anubisath Sentinels, each of which randomly selected from eight abilities, encouraging players to assess the encounter.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.