Diablo has had a rough time recently, with fans reacting poorly to the mobile port announcement of the famous franchise, but Blizzard began to win back some favour with the first reveal of Diablo 4 at Blizzcon 2019.
The early footage looks great, but there's still so much we don't know about the game. If you're a hardcore Diablo fan, we recommend bookmarking this page since we'll be updating it with any new information that'll be coming in 2020 and beyond.
When Will Diablo 4 Launch?
When asked about the launch date, Luis Barriga (Game Director) said that a "game of this scale takes time", and said that the game won't be "coming out soon – not even Blizzard soon".
While there had been word of a 2020 release, expect it next year at the earliest, especially since David Kim, the lead systems designer, has now left the project in order to work on World of Warcraft.
His role has now been filled by Joe Piepiora, formerly Diablo 4's senior game designer. While a reshuffle isn't necessarily bad news, it can undoubtedly affect a project's schedule.
In a recent earnings call, it was suggested that the game won't launch in 2021.
Latest News
Diablo 4 Is Delayed - November 2
During Activision Blizzard's latest earnings call, the Diablo 4 developers announced the game is delayed to an as-yet undisclosed time. The statement included in the earnings call mentions that as new creative leaders took up their positions, they realized portions of the game would benefit from more time and polish.
Diablo 4 June 2021 Quarterly Update - June 30
The Diablo 4 Quarterly Update arrived, focusing on the artwork and technical details on how the team achieved some amazing feats for the character, monsters, and allies.
Diablo 4 Rogue Class Revealed - February 19
As part of the Blizzcon Opening Ceremony, the developer showed off the Rogue Class.
Check out the trailer below:
Diablo Immortal Limited Alpha Coming – December 18
Blizzard has confirmed that Diablo Immortal, the mobile spinoff of the Diablo franchise, will be available as part of a "technical alpha" in some regions.
It's not Diablo 4 news, but hey, it could be worth a go.
There is much to share from Sanctuary.#DiabloImmortal Lead Designer Wyatt Cheng (@candlesan) provides an update on the Technical Alpha, gameplay, world-building, and more.Pre-Register: https://t.co/AY1Vn89lfkpic.twitter.com/dzQEc8awxQ
— Diablo Immortal (@DiabloImmortal)
December 17, 2020
What Platforms Will It Be Available On?
This is a little up in the air. While the game will definitely be coming to PC (presumably through Blizzard's Battle.net launcher), it's also slated for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Considering it'll almost certainly launch after the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, we'd be very surprised if it doesn't aim for the newer consoles instead.
One platform absent from the announcement is the Nintendo Switch. While the console may not offer the same power as its home console counterparts, it remains a great place to play Diablo 3. Here's hoping Blizzard can bring Diablo 4 to the handheld hybrid in some capacity.
Diablo 4 Trailer
You can check out gameplay from Diablo 4, but here's the stunning announcement cinematic. Be warned, it's a long one.
We've also got this Rogue class announcement trailer:
Diablo 4 Price
Expect Diablo 4 to cost the same as any other full-priced new title, as Blizzard is unlikely to go free-to-play.
Diablo 4 Pre-Order
While Blizzard loves a good far-advance preorder, there still is not a pre-order system in place for Diablo 4.
Fans eagerly awaiting Diablo 4 can pre-order Diablo II: Resurrected in hopes the revamped classic can scratch their Diablo itch while they are waiting for the latest installment in the series.
Diablo 4 Classes
Good news, Druid fans. The class was absent for Diablo 3, but it returns in the fourth game.
Also confirmed are the Rogue, Sorceress, and Barbarian. Expect them to all play differently, especially when you factor in fresh loot to earn.
Diablo 4's fifth class has not yet been revealed, but players can expect a class that is either Dexterity or Intelligence-based, seeing as two classes already rely on Strength.
This could mean a Cleric, Bard, or even a Ranger archetype could be in the works for the next Diablo game.
Diablo 4 Changes
Unlike previous installments, Diablo 4 will offer shared-world elements. Think of it in the same way as Destiny's public events, as multiple players pile onto a sizeable boss enemy that will presumably offer better loot.
As part of a new quarterly update, Blizzard has confirmed some fresh UI changes and the inclusion of PC controller support.
The early demo showed off three main stats (Attack, Defense, and Life), but we're hoping things will get more granular as things go on.
Diablo 4 Gameplay
You can check out the game's full gameplay trailer below, enjoy.
Diablo 4 Skill Tree
As revealed in a new blog post, Blizzard revealed that players will be able to respec and tweak their skills and passives an unlimited number of times.
"The number of times you can do this will be unlimited, but it won’t be free," it explains.
"It will be easy to do when you first start a character; as your character grows, the effort and cost required to respec will grow too. In the end-game, changing your build will require a significant investment, to appropriately match the time and effort you’ve put into defining your character."
Weapon Types and Rarities
The team has been working on making weapon speed a core attribute of gear, meaning a two-handed weapon that deals more damage will be slower, while a one-handed variant will deal less damage but be able to do it more quickly.
Weapons also have "inherent physical characteristic" that's based on weapon type. So a wand may have an additional critical strike chance, while shields will offer a specific block value.
"We’re increasing the potential power of individual affixes on Magic items. We're increasing the maximum number of affixes on Rare and better items in the endgame. Legendary affixes now roll randomly (Yes, really!) on Legendary Items. And Unique items will replace Mythics," the blog explains.
It looks as though it'll help diversify character builds and allow for more customization.
Unique Items are back, too, and will always appear with the same affixes.
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