One of the surprising announcements from BlizzCon’s opening ceremony was the reveal of Diablo 5 and although there’s a bit of a wait for the next entry, Blizzard has big plans for 2027. Not only is Diablo 5 bringing the Lord of Terror back into the spotlight, but in this version of Sanctuary, the world has already fallen. Instead of preparing for the threat, players will now need to deal with the world actively changing in front of them and bring it to an end.
After a two-year hiatus, Blizzard came out swinging with the 2026 version of BlizzCon. The company made some major new announcements, including an open-world shooter StarCraft game, despite it not launching until 2030 at the earliest. Each of Blizzard’s major franchises seemingly received news, such as a new expansion for Warcraft 3, the newest hero in Overwatch, and World of Warcraft Forever being officially revealed. The Diablo franchise also received plenty of news, including the shocking announcement and reveal of Diablo 5, which is slated for launch in 2029. However, Blizzard teased even more plans for Diablo 5 starting in 2027.
Blizzard Reveals Big Plans for Diablo 5 in 2027
While the excitement of Diablo 5 was tempered a bit by its launch date, Blizzard provided a ton of new details about its plans for the next game in the series. Although players won’t be able to get their hands on the game until 2029 at the earliest, Blizzard will be sharing updates regularly starting in 2027. While admitting that Diablo 5 was still in early development, the team will be showcasing new features taking shape, revealing ideas that are guiding the game’s development, and offering a closer look at the overall progress being made. The plan to bring players into this development journey is to utilize feedback to help the team make better informed decisions, honoring what fans love while also steering things in a new direction.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
Blizzard is seemingly taking the story in an interesting new direction, one that features a central premise that the heroes of the past have failed as Diablo has finally won having seemingly conquered Sanctuary, leaving players, as the Heir to Westmarch, to pick up the broken pieces. With the world being reshapen as players experience it, Blizzard confirmed that enemies, points of interest, and the world itself can change dynamically. Instead of utilizing the safety of towns, players will instead build a “caravan of allies” to travel alongside the player, serving as vendors and companions.
Classes in any Diablo game are also a big deal and at BlizzCon, three were announced already. The double-crossbow-wielding Demon Hunter makes its return from Diablo 4, alongside the holy fists of the Diablo 3 Monk, and a brand-new class called the Plague Warrior. Blizzard calls this class “walking death” as they roam the battlefield spreading disease and consuming it to enhance their power.
However, despite the Diablo 5 announcement, Blizzard isn’t ready to leave current players behind. The studio confirmed that more content is on the horizon for Diablo 4, even if that won’t actually include any more expansions. Next year in 2027, Diablo 4 will be adding the Amazon class, a fan favorite from the original Diablo 2. Unfortunately, the announcement didn’t provide any additional details or a look at possible skills, though many hope to see more at some of the upcoming BlizzCon panels.
- Released
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June 5, 2023
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
