I am just curious since I can’t imagine everyone has a common definition.
Also, what’s a game that you think has great end-game? Doesn’t need to be an ARPG.
I go by the definition of any content that becomes available after a player has reached the end of the main storyline for a game.
Edit: I’m going to steal Shadouts definition.
So in a Final Fantasy game for example there are optional bosses after defeating the main story. In a Diablo-like game it would be anything after the main story. In an MMORPG it would be the content after the main campaign, usually involves raiding of some sort.
In my opinion, NMD, Pits, Helltides, Infernal Hordes, Undercity, DC, legion events, boss events, boss ladder, and whispers are all endgame content. May have missed some, but you get the point.
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For me endgame was PVP in Diablo II.
Because of good class and skill balance, fully open trade market, healthy trade market, everything was attainable to min/max. That meant even if you couldn’t find it, you could save for it which meant your time invested always gained something, never nothing. Combine that with actual pvp skill, then the fact that there were always active pvp players, and new players to the pvp scene on a regular basis, tournaments setup by the community (often with prizes) it made for endless fun. None of our gear was ever altered, taken away, or marked Legacy by the devs. You could come back to the top tier brag worthy pvp build any time you wanted, or start a new build, or play a new ladder.
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In an arpg for me its about loot and grinding
Endgame is something to do that makes all that farming for character power mean something. All we’re doing now is acquiring stuff to get more powerful and then there’s nothing worth doing with it. We’re just one-shotting bigger. We’re doing a higher pit level.
A good endgame in D4 might be something like a journey for an ultimate weapon for our class, once we get into T4… when we have it, maybe it unlocks a dungeon or labyrinth with a boss that actually tests our dps/defense, instead of one-shotting its health and then running around to avoid one-shot mechanics until it can die.
In FFXII, you built up your character and worked your way through all the hunts until you eventually unlocked Yiazmat. The only issue I had with that game was that you had to kill Yiazmat to get the best weapon… and then there was nothing to do with it. Apart from that complaint, I would call that a good enjoyable endgame. I had stepping stone challenges while building up my character power… and then at my strongest, there was something worth doing that felt like an accomplishment when it was done.
Then they add that content and one of two things generally happen. They put the high quality gear there so that players feel it is rewarding but then that makes for power creep and eventually further trivializes content. Or, they make it pinnacle content with no added rewards and people complain it wasn’t worth doing.
They’ve already attempted both scenarios in D4.
End game is activities you do after finished the campaign. They are repetitive but could be fun to play if the game has good balancing, which allow player try many different builds and weapon to complete the game objectives.
Souls like ARPG has very good end game because it is skill based game. It takes a lot of playthrough to master the boss fight mechanic, and all builds are viable as killing the boss depends on your skill not the build.
Monster Hunter Wild will have very good end game as it has 14 types of weapon, each weapon is very complex to master.
It also has co-op mode which allow you to fight difficult boss with other players with different build. It has many cosmetic seasonal events for player to unlock without mtx.
D4 end game is boring because the content is locked behind a wall called pit. Only certain bug build can get through. Other end game activities is around farming boss mats to get mythic. The rota boss fight is the most boring activities in the game after Hordes. D4’s free cosmetic also meh, I have no motivation to unlock any of them.
It doesn’t matter because it’s not going to happen. He asked a question and i generated a thought. I don’t care what anyone thinks of it, because it’s a barely-thought-out fantasy.
Something I can brag about! that is my definition and this game has nothing to brag about.
higher pits is the endgame for me.
My D4 end game is pretty simple:
Grinding for perfect items, regardless of class and builds.
Having an enormous amount of resources for anything and everything I want to do.
Accomplishing the hardest content in the game - whatever it may be - under 3 mins.
Still working on it… 
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Based off what I have seen on this forum.
Endgame is anything I do post story mode in a game I like.
Endgame isn’t anything I do post story mode in a game I don’t like.
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The endgame in any game is when the player concludes the story or campaign. Single player games tend to have New Game+ modes for this reason. This is the endgame. It’s meant to be optional on all games except ARPGs.
The best endgame aka. repeatable content is and always will be in multiplayer games. MOBAs, FPS, Fighting games, etc. Competition is the way to go imo.
I just have to ask: MOBAs don’t have campaigns so does that mean that the whole game is end-game or that there is no end-game because there is no campaign to proceed it?
It was an example of what I think it’s highly repayable content, aka endgame. Any MOBA could in theory had a story or campaign while the endgame was still the maps they have right now.
Take fighting games for example. They all tend to have story modes nowadays but the endgame is and always will be climbing that ranked ladder in pvp.
That’s my take however. I could see Civilization games being very good single player games with very high replayability but I’m not a huge fan.
I think this answer has to be qualified into first time players, returning players, seasonal players, and eternal players.
First time players will obviously be seasonal anyway…so endgame is gonna be anything post storyline.
Returning players would expect a bit more in this area.
For me as basically an Eternal player I expect to run things that can upgrade my characters equipment and abilities to perform the best in things like the Pits. True endgame is finishing the highest level pit if possible.
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end game for me is a fast mount that doesnt get stuck on invisa rocks.
- When I can’t beat something on the highest difficulty, that’s simply the endgame for me. Right now, I feel like the Pit is the only D4 endgame content.
- Additionally, we can consider other content like PvP, Speedrun leaderboards or faction battles as other types of endings.
This 
anything after completing the story.
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Sarcasm aside, for me end game is the perfect/best gear you can get.
Battling bosses that take a group effort and having a chance at an unique item.
Also, class long quest/journey that start at a low level but when you completed it, it’s a super class defining item/power is yours.
Running greater rifts/maps/ being able to clear the full screen of mobs in a single click.
And the grand daddy of all end game… the achievement of a title of something super that people can see you and say wow that person truly did everything and even the impossible