Diablo 5‘s Game Director, Joe Shely, gave more insight on how Blizzard is changing up character builds for the new game, shifting to a heavier focus on planning. The studio officially announced the highly-anticipated Diablo 5 during BlizzCon 2026.
The next major entry in the long-running dungeon-crawler series was one of the biggest surprises to come from BlizzCon. Blizzard showed off a brief teaser for the game during the annual convention, hinting at the return of the Lord of Terror within Diablo 5, likely as a major antagonist. The studio also revealed the first three classes in Diablo 5 with the Demon Hunter, Monk, and Plague Knight, sharing that the game will feature the Diablo franchise’s largest roster of playable classes to date. Now, one of the leads on Diablo 5 is giving fans a better idea of how building characters will function in the new game.
Diablo 5 Details its Philosophy With Character Builds
Game Director Joe Shely recently shared Blizzard’s approach to builds in Diablo 5, aiming for a greater sense of player agency. Shely likened the philosophy of Diablo 5 to an “INT/STR build,” suggesting that Blizzard is putting an emphasis on planning for character builds. He also said that Diablo 5 will have mechanics focused on “moment-to-moment interaction” that will rely on player skill, but that Blizzard’s main intent is to provide players with options to “overcome any challenge” with the right build. Blizzard is aiming for a 2029 release for Diablo 5, though a specific date has not been confirmed.
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Image via Blizzard -
Image via Blizzard -
Image via Blizzard
The design philosophy for Diablo 5 looks to offer many benefits for players interested in a more strategic approach. Many fans have called for the Diablo franchise to return to more nuanced character builds that emphasize investing in particular strengths. Item choices and skills have been major requests for changes to the series, asking for more depth to items and emphasizing meaningful decisions with character builds. Blizzard has even begun to tease some details about how its new classes will play, revealing Plague Knight as an armored class that will “spread disease and consume it for power.”
Diablo 5 will make some major changes from past entries in the franchise when it launches in 2029. Blizzard has confirmed that Diablo 5 will feature a “post-apocalyptic” setting, taking place in a version of Sanctuary where Diablo was victorious over the heroes and left the world in ruin. The studio also revealed that the next Diablo game will take place at a vastly different point in the franchise’s timeline, set 100 years after the events of Diablo 4‘s main story.
The reveal of Diablo 5 came as part of a packed BlizzCon with plenty of exciting announcements for the Diablo franchise. Blizzard confirmed that it will be adding a brand-new class to Diablo 4 in 2027, welcoming the return of the Amazon, originally featured in Diablo 2. The studio also announced that it is partnering with Netflix to produce an animated TV adaptation of the franchise. Between new content for Diablo 4, a Netflix series, and the next major game on the horizon, the future looks brighter than ever for the Diablo franchise.
