In a rather bold display of restraint, No Rest for the Wicked’s lead, Thomas Mahler from Moon Studios, has taken to social media to unleash his thoughts about Diablo, Blizzard, ex-president Mike Ybarra, and standout action RPGs like Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2. This sparked a classic Twitter spat that has, unsurprisingly, drawn Ybarra into the mix. The whole kerfuffle started on December 30, 2025, when Mahler decided to promote his own action RPG. He had quite the message for streamers, suggesting, “We all know anyone can look good in Diablo 4 or PoE2. Do you really want to show your audience you’ve got skill? Try No Rest for the Wicked.”
Ybarra wasn’t having it and shot back the same day, pointing out, “Putting down other games for your own games sake doesn’t really work. Let your game stand on its own two feet.”
It didn’t take long before another Twitter user suggested that Moon Studios focus their energy on finishing their game rather than targeting others. Mahler, smirking, reassured everyone he was “just teasing a little.” Yet, someone chimed in with claims of getting the “worst performance” from No Rest for the Wicked. Mahler’s response? “Real men got good machines at home,” followed by a dig about those “PBR’d cheap mocap games” that look like student projects.
On December 31, things escalated quickly. Mahler launched a verbal cannon shot at Ybarra. “Mike, real talk: You were put in charge of Diablo and you didn’t treat it with the respect it deserved,” he began in a series of lengthy posts and replies. “Diablo used to mean something. Diablo 2 was an utter masterpiece and showed the whole world what western developers could do,” he added. He didn’t pull punches, calling out the game’s microtransaction model by saying, “You OK’d turning Diablo into a MTX slot machine where people can buy horse armor for $65.” This comment references a notorious $65 currency bundle Blizzard introduced earlier in the year, which came under the community’s fire for its blatant pricing strategy. Mahler’s previous rants against this move are well documented.
And if you thought that was it, think again. “It’s time that executives stop patting themselves on the back after ruining beloved franchises and accept some personal responsibility,” Mahler poured out in his post. He cleverly highlighted Ybarra’s earlier statement on his uncertainty about Diablo’s direction: “I’m not sure where Diablo is going.” Mahler lamented, “Games used to be better before all this crap happened, and that’s just sad.”
“This Toxic Positivity stuff is for the birds,” he insisted, just to clarify where he stands. “If you make a bad game, you should feel bad about it and there shouldn’t be a bunch of people congratulating you for an awful job well done.”
Ybarra, of course, couldn’t resist replying. “You can critique other games all you want,” he remarked. “But running around putting down Diablo and Path of Exile begging people to play your game is stupid. And that is my point. You know it’s stupid as well.” He added, “I get you’re desperate at this point, but I’d focus on your game and not D4 and Path.”
Mahler, true to form, responded back with an acknowledgment of his “respect” for the developers at Grinding Gear Games who created Path of Exile 2. He insisted, “If Blizzard would’ve done their jobs right, it wouldn’t have lost the ARPG crown to a tiny Australian studio.” And yes, 2025 was indeed a banner year for indie studios from down under.
“I don’t know that a developer pointing out that squeezing gamers with nasty MTX tricks is ‘stupid’ makes sense,” Mahler quipped back. “How in the world are you justifying that there’s a $65 horse skin in DIABLO?” He didn’t hold back, claiming, “You were in charge when Blizzard made Diablo Immortal and Diablo 4. You are responsible. And both have done irreparable damage to the Diablo franchise we used to know and love. I’m guessing that’s why you got booted and are now the head of some gambling company, Mike. So please don’t lecture me on games. I probably forgot more about game design than you will ever know.”
Ybarra had another jab ready: “I don’t have to work anymore. You do,” he hit back. He quipped about Microsoft’s interaction with Mahler on Ori, urging Mahler to focus more on his game, adding, “I do really wish you and the team the best.”
Wrapping things up, Mahler reminded Ybarra that they’re “independent” and “not reliant on any publisher,” wondering aloud if that concept was “hard to grasp for people who never worked at private companies and have only experienced the corporate world.”
Noting, “Not sure why you needed to tell me that you don’t have to work anymore, but that I do?” he continued, “I work because I love my job, because we want to make amazing games for players, not because someone is forcing me to. And I don’t know if pointing out that you got a golden handshake after getting fired for your tenure at Blizzard makes you look particularly great either… Anyway, no hard feelings.”
For the record, as reported by Game Developer in January 2024, Ybarra left Blizzard under mysterious circumstances amid wider layoffs following Microsoft’s acquisition. He then took up the CEO role at PrizePicks, a fantasy sports app.
As mundane and diplomatic as the New Year resolution may sound, I can’t help but appreciate how gracefully calm these executives handle their Twitter exchanges, a real treat in our chaotic digital age.