Out of the many spectacular games Blizzard Entertainment has come up with, such as Overwatch, Hearthstone, Starcraft, or the global phenomenon World of Warcraft, Diablo is one of those series of games you just know is definitive. Not just for its genre of games but for the industry as a whole. Why? Because it encompasses everything a good game is all about.

The definition of a dungeon crawler game, Diablo came out in 1996 with its first episode. Ever since that moment, fans of the mysterious caverns and dungeons of the RPG were hooked forever, with millions playing the games for decades, from their childhood all the way up into adulthood, and beyond. What’s all the craze about with these games? Let’s find out together!



The Diablo Universe In A Nutshell

Diablo is a series of games that is based on the idea of dungeon crawling. Diablo is one of the greatest games of all time, but why? The main attraction is the element of randomized assignment of quests, as well as different enemies on each playground. The game also comes with online multiplayer mode, improving gamer retention. And then, the success of the sequels.





Although Diablo I was a success, the two sequels of it, Diablo II released in 2000, and Diablo III coming out in 2012, really nuked the title out of the park. There was a cult following immediately after the release of the second and then third games, with gamers swearing for the series and devoting hours upon hours per day to the genre. And now, the fourth game is about to be born.



Ten Things We Know About Diablo 4

In a world that’s all about fast everything, Blizzard has taken their time with this one. They don’t do this often, especially with their main hit, World of Warcraft. The famous MMORPG has had one new expansion almost yearly so far. Dragonflight was released at the end of 2022 and with mixed reviews. Dragons in the most popular MMORPG? Why? Well, they’re there.

What’s coming with the new Diablo 4, that’s now one decade in the making? What do we know about this amazing new tale of the series, and what’s left in the dark so far? We have made our homework and gathered the most information we could find about the release date, mechanics, new features, prices, and everything else you’d want to know as an avid Diablo fan. Here we go!

Release date - Probably the most awaited release date for any true Diablo fan is this one for the fourth instalment of the series. Fortunately, Blizzard has confirmed the release date of the 10-year-old project, right at Blizzcon, one of the largest gaming conventions held by one individual developer. Diablo 4 is therefore launching on June 6th 2023, the official confirmed date by Blizzard. There might be other pre-release events and showcases, gameplay examples and even beta tests but for all of that, we think the best idea would be to constantly check with the official website of the producer, as well as their social media channels.

Platforms - With such a big interest in this long-awaited game, it's only natural that Blizzard will release the new title on as many platforms as possible. This will be one of the most available, so to speak, Diablos ever made thanks to the diversity of the gaming platforms people will be able to launch and enjoy the game on. Diablo 4 is set to release on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, as well as the PC and other last-generation consoles in 2023, with the PC version coming on June 6th. Blizzard is now under Microsoft's ownership, yet there is no information on the game being somewhat exclusive on the Xbox in any way. Maybe we will see some exclusive deals for the Xbox but so far, the game is set to launch on all platforms where it can run.





Beta - Gamers are always looking for ways to cut the line shor before a release. Besides hacking into a billion-dollars game-developing company, a safer way to do it is by playing a beta version of the game. Blizzard announced the first Diablo 4 beta recently, saying it will be a "closed-end game" test, meant to offer the biggest of the fans a look at what the fourth instalment of the series will look like. The beta is also including gameplay after the primary campaign ends. Also, the beta is available only to selected players, such as those who've played Diablo 2: Resurrected and the end game of Diablo 3 recently. There is also a beta coming for all else in the first quarter of 2023.

Trailer - The trailer for Diablo 4 was everything gamers expected... and then some! A reveal worth mentioning and telling about to your grandsons. The cinematic trailer was dark, grim, and gross at times but enveloped everything Diablo is famous for. It is exactly what you want from a Diablo title, a plethora of gore, fight, blood and destroyment. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, hit the play button right below this section. It will get you into the mood for what's to come when the game comes. You can also find some gameplay trailers up on the 'Tube if you like, which include a look at the Sanctuary, some classes, combat and so much more.

Classes - There are five classes ready for grabs in Diablo 4, three of them announced in 2019 at Blizzcon. The classes are Barbarian, Druid, and Sorceress. Another class that will be available and making a return is the Rogue class. And finally, the Necromancer class was revealed later. Blizzard has been very offering with information on classes so far. For example, the Barbarian class will be all about weapons and brutal force. As you'd expect, the class will be unforgiving, and effective, with any new attack you will go for. Special abilities include energy waves for multiple enemy damage, buff attacks with the help of runes, and so on. The Sorceress class makes combat into a more tactical thing. Faraway attacks are the norm here, thanks to ice arrows, fireballs, and lightning! The Druid class makes a return from Diablo 2, all with new looks and magic. You will still have the power of fire, storm, earth and shapeshifting, as you can turn your Druid from human to bears, wolves and so many more creatures. The Rogue class is also coming back straight from Diablo 1, although it will look and feel like a completely new thing. In fact, the new class is a mixture of the first Rogue from the original game and the Assassins class from Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction. And finally, you've got the Necromancer, a blend of new and old, capable of raising the dead who can do the nasty work for you. How about a customizable army of the undead?





Cross-play? - Diablo 4 will come on a variety of platforms since its launch days, including the PC, the PS5 and the Xbox Series X. Yet there is still no definitive information on the cross-play capabilities of this new title of the series. We do hope there will be cross-play powers given to the people but so far, there's nothing confirmed on that front. Diablo 4's executive producer, Mr Allen Adham, is keeping it positive by saying cross-platform gameplay will most likely happen. During an interview for The Telegraph, at the 2019 BlizzCon, Adham said the team was working on overcoming some technical difficulties, stating that one of the goals for launch day was crossplay capabilities.

Seasons and payments - In a recent update about the Diablo 4 gameplay and mechanics, the talks happened around the seasons as well as the live service monetization features. Following the backlash from Immortal's microtransactions, this was a particularly interesting topic for all who attended, virtual or in person. Diablo 4 will be "much more ambitious", as Blizzard has put it, than Diablo 3. Yet the basics will remain unchanged, with seasons coming with a complete reset, which means you will go through a new questline and a brand new character, as well as zero gold or items left from any previous builds you've worked so hard for. Season passes will also be in effect, with free and paid tracks, unique cosmetics, premium currency, and other features. No gameplay advantage will be possible as all items from the in-game store are purely cosmetic.

PvP - Finally, there is some PvP coming to Diablo with this fourth instalment. As a lot of the fanbase of Diablo is made out of people who are into MMOs like World of Warcraft, a PvP option has been a long-awaited must for the series. Seven years ago when Diablo 3 came out the feature was not there, despite the constant wanting coming from the community around the game. The PvP feature will be optional, as there are zones specifically designed just for this type of battle, called Fields of Hatred. You can either go there or not, and you doing so or not will have no consequences for the main story of the gameplay. There are however rewards for doing it. Hatred Shards, a currency you can get by killing monsters and opening chests, completing events or simply slaying other players, is a reward you want.





Death - Speaking of slaying others, there is more than PvP in the Fields of Hatred, such as killing bosses and events of all sorts. Killing the most hatred player in the zone, who has a target on his head after killing many others, will pay you extremely well as you'll end that gamer's reign of horror. And when you do die in the Fields, all you do is lose all of the Shards you weren't able to purify before going out. This is not as dramatic as a season's end but still quite devastating, if you've collected enough currency.

Length - Thanks to the addition of the PvP area, there is no official length of the game no-more, as this World of Warcraft-type of feature can literally have you playing forever. However, there is a length given to the main campaign of the game. Blizzard has announced that this Diablo will be the longest ever made, nearly doubling the lengths of previous titles of the series. The Diablo 4 main campaign without any other extras is set to be nearly 35 hours long in terms of gameplay time. This number has been confirmed by Blizzard and is a hefty sum if it stands up to its promises.



What We Don’t Know About Diablo 4

There are some things that we still do not know about the upcoming fourth Diablo. One of the reasons why this happens is because Blizzard is always leaving details for the end of the end, the release date or the day before. Good marketing. We don’t know, for example, what some of the exclusives for the Xbox environment are going to be, but we do know there are going to be some since Blizzard is now part of Microsoft. Another one is the feel gamers will have with this new and improved world. Back in the day, all they wanted was a better version of their favourite ARPG. Now with the launch of the fourth Diablo, they’re getting that, and then some. It’s just a matter of time before we’ll have the answers to all of our bloody questions…