Announced in 2019, Diablo IV is Blizzard’s future big game. We are still a long way from being able to play it (see you in 2023), so let’s take stock of everything we know about it thanks to the details regularly shared by the studio.
Blizzard Entertainment hasn’t released anything fundamentally new since 2016, when Overwatch was born. Since then, the multinational has multiplied remakes and extensions of World of Warcraft (whose future seems to be darkening), and launched Diablo Immortal — mobile adaptation. Company fans have to wait Diablo IVwhich was made official at the end of 2019 with a sublime cinematic.
Following Diablo IIIstill very popular, will not be available in 2022, while the third opus celebrates its tenth anniversary, but in 2023. We recall that 12 years separated the launches of Diablo II and Diablo III.
Blizzard Entertainment communicates regularly on Diablo IV and should continue to do so by the planned release on PC and consoles. So we take stock of what we know about one of the most anticipated games of the moment.
Lilith as villain Diablo IV
” A dark, gothic and medieval version of hell “promises Blizzard Entertainment regarding Diablo IV. The first images support this vision which corresponds to a return to the sources. We feel that the developers want to immerse the players in a gloomy atmosphere, where the sets were a little more colorful in Diablo III. This is good news for the fans of the first hour, with an artistic touch ultimately more in tune with the universe of the cult saga.
In any case, the design of certain monsters sets the tone: several of them are likely to give rise to some nightmares, like this huge spider eating a host to take control and blow it up.
The main antagonist of Diablo IV is called Lilith, daughter of Mephisto (one of the three primordial demons, and brother of Diablo) and queen of the Succubi. We fight it for the first time in Diablo IIthen it is simply mentioned in Diablo III and its extension Reaper of Souls.
The summary of the scenario Diablo IV Explain : “ A demonic ritual summoned Lilith to Sanctuary after eons of exile. His return marks the beginning of an era of darkness and misfortune. »
The 5 classes confirmed for Diablo IV
Classes are an important part of Diablo games. For the fourth installment, all five have already been confirmed. First there is the Barbarian, who specializes in close combat and big attacks that do heavy damage. Then there is the Sorceress, who prefers to fight from a distance with powerful spells. The Druid, for his part, can transform into an animal.
During the last BlizzCon, Blizzard formalized the return of the Thief. ” The thief is an agile and versatile fighter who can specialize in both ranged attacks and close combat “says Blizzard about him. This is, again, a rediscovered first love: the Thief was in the Diablo original. For its big comeback, this class should be a mix between the Assassin of Diablo II and the Demon Hunter Diablo III.
For the fifth class, Blizzard Entertainment has chosen the Necromancer, unveiled during the Xbox conference broadcast on June 12, 2022. Able to summon creatures, he can rely on his book of the dead to customize his army made up of skeletons and golems.
On the casting side, the biggest novelty will be on the side of the personalization of the heroine or the hero. For the first time in the history of the saga, Blizzard will integrate real tools to create a character with the appearance you want. The extensive modifications will affect both the face (hair, piercing, tattoos, makeup, etc.) and the outfit. This freedom, in terms of customization, has existed in other RPGs for several years now. And it was about time Diablo got on it, even if it paves the way for paid cosmetics.
A Diablo IV in open world
” Five distinct regions and hundreds of dungeons “, promises Blizzard in a press release published on March 29, 2022. Where the company recalls that Diablo IV will be a true open world — a first in the history of the saga. This means that we can roam freely in the different settings offered by the game, which is obviously based on opposite biomes to vary the atmospheres.
Here are the confirmed environments in Diablo IV :
- Scosglen Coast: a coastal biome, consisting of beaches, cliffs, and villages;
- Orbei Monastery: an isolated and secret place of worship in the Arid steppes, bringing together salt deserts;
- Kyovashad: an oppressive medieval village, cold, harsh and divided into several districts.
There will also be over 150 dungeons in Diablo IV, procedurally generated from sets of environments. Finally, we can go to forgotten places, caves of the wretched or flooded depths. ” Imagine yourself walking through a crypt, when you come across a hole in the wall that naturally leads into a vast network of caverns says Blizzard Entertainment about the seamless transition from one environment to another. In short, the content looks more than up to par.
All Diablo IV Videos
announcement trailer
First gameplay trailer
Thief Trailer
Necromancer Trailer
Second gameplay trailer
Will there be paid content in Diablo IV?
Contrary to Diablo Immortal, Diablo IV will not be a free game. Nevertheless, Blizzard Entertainment has already planned the coup for after the launch. As Rod Fergusson, Brand Manager at Blizzard, indicated in a tweet posted on June 12, 2022, there will be regular updates to keep players busy for a very long time. He also mentions paid extensions (as is the case for previous Diablo games) and microtransactions. These will relate to purely cosmetic elements, which will make his hero more beautiful.
As Diablo III and Diablo II: Resurrected, Diablo IV will evolve through seasons, at the rate of four per year, can we discover in a quarterly report published on August 19. Where Blizzard Entertainment wants to reassure on monetization – which poses so many problems on Diablo Immortal.
In Diablo IV, you can buy ornamental items and Season Passes, two levers that will not allow you to gain power simply by paying. In its press release, Blizzard Entertainment insists: in Diablo IV, paid items will only serve to enhance the aesthetics of its characters. In the store, players will see what they are paying for in order to avoid “ bad surprises “. ” Our cosmetics are holistic fantasies, whose individual components can be mixed and matched with acquired armor transmogs to create endless customization options “says the company.
Note that Blizzard Entertainment has entrusted the development of the various content related to the seasons to a single team. She will be responsible for making people want to continue playing Diablo IV with gameplay improvements, new scenarios, one-time events and multiple unlockable rewards (no need to pay).
Diablo IV marks the return of PvP
The gameplay of Diablo IV should take up the solid foundations laid by its predecessors, always with this top view which gives ideal visibility in ever more open environments. Remember that the Diablos are part of the hack’n’slash genre, namely very action-oriented games. Concretely, we advance to our goal by killing as many monsters as possible, while picking up some new pieces of equipment along the way. We can live this adventure with several people, in cooperation (including locally).
For developers, the main challenge of Diablo IV is on the side of the console versions, which must benefit from ideal ergonomics for the joystick (this is the case with Diablo III). This is a constraint consisting in developing gameplay that is both adapted to the world of the PC (interface, keyboard/mouse) and to that of the console (television, controller, cooperative game on the same screen, etc.). ). For Blizzard Entertainment, it is important that both types of experience can be enjoyed with the same degree of requirement. The idea is not to favor one over another and, on arrival, one could almost say that Diablo IV involves developing two different games.
To note that Diablo IV will borrow some elements from the MMO genre, including the need to be constantly connected to the internet in order to play. This aspect of the game is still unclear, but everything suggests that there will be massive events to share with others. Of course, we can live the entire story privately, without being bothered by anyone.
Diablo IV will integrate a competitive mode, which will be 100% optional. Thus, the more daring will be able to go to dedicated areas, where all shots will be allowed. In return, the rewards will be very, very high.
When Diablo comes out IV on PC and console?
Diablo IV is expected on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X for 2023. Normally, it should be available during the first half of the year.