At BlizzCon, developer Blizzard Entertainment unexpectedly confirmed the development of Diablo 5 and set a release date of spring 2029. This action RPG takes place approximately a century after the events of Diablo 4, and players are faced with an unprecedented situation: the King of Terror has finally won the battle for Sanctuary. You control your character through an already destroyed wasteland, rather than an impending disaster. In doing so, the studio has chosen the darkest approach in the entire series’ history to date.
The new setting of “Diablo 5” completely breaks the conventions of the series. With no safe city left in the burned-out haven, a mobile caravan of recruits and survivors serves as the central hub. In terms of game mechanics, the studio is relying on greater procedurality in dungeons and zones, as well as the return of classic features: a larger inventory grid once again requires active loot space management, while the reintroduction of powerful set items and attribute-limited gear specifically builds on series classics like Diablo 2. In addition to the debut of the new Plague Knight class, the likes of the Monk and Demon Hunter will also return.
Meanwhile, Blizzard has provided extensive roadmap details for existing Diablo 4. Following the release of its second major expansion, Lords of Hatred, earlier this year, the team is now focusing on its anniversary season, Season of Hell’s Legacy, launching on September 15th. This brings back a classic location and the lost soul of Deckard Cain. Additionally, the Amazon has been officially announced as the next playable class in 2027, which will use bows and javelins to fight. The announcement is rounded out by the Diablo animated series currently in production on Netflix.
With the release of Diablo 5 and the release of the fourth expansion pack, Blizzard is currently adopting a two-pronged strategy. While Diablo 4 will continue to offer seasons and new categories as an active live service following the recent Lords of Hatred expansion, its planned successor in 2029 represents the next major milestone in the future of the action RPG series.
The fact that Diablo 5 is scheduled to launch shortly after Diablo 4 raises the possibility that Blizzard isn’t necessarily happy with the terms and success of the fourth installment.
