Blizzard Entertainment announced Diablo IV for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC at BlizzCon 2019. A release date was not announced.
Here is an overview of the game, via Blizzard:
An ancient evil threatens to engulf Sanctuary in darkness, and new heroes have been called upon to face challenges the world has never seen before. Today, Blizzard Entertainment announced Diablo IV, the highly anticipated next entry in its genre-defining action–role-playing series. The newest installment of Diablo was announced during BlizzCon 2019, where attendees were eager to be the first in the world to play a public demo of the game. Diablo IV draws players into a grim story line and gives them the freedom to explore and forge their own path across the most expansive and intense vision of the world of Sanctuary—a bleak and shattered hellscape bereft of hope and beset by demons.
True to the franchise’s roots, Diablo IV will deliver visceral combat, gruesome and varied monsters, an epic hunt for legendary loot, and endless playability and progression. Players will find a lifetime’s worth of adventure scattered across a land rooted in unique ecologies and inhabited by dangerous new foes. They’ll delve into randomized dungeons packed with unpredictable adversaries and unimaginable treasures. While continuing to fully support solo and coordinated party play, Diablo IV will also provide opportunities for groups of players to encounter each other in the same shared world—whether to tackle bigger challenges… or possibly even slaughter one another in player-versus-player combat.
In Diablo IV, players will attempt to bring hope back to the world by vanquishing evil in all its vile incarnations—from cannibalistic demon-worshipping cultists to the all-new drowned undead that emerge from the coastlines to drag their victims to a watery grave. For the first time in the series, Sanctuary will be a contiguous, seamless landmass comprising diverse regions ranging from the burning desert of Kejhistan, to the verdant werewolf-infested forests of Scosglen, to the harsh and rugged wilderness of the Dry Steppes.
At BlizzCon, Blizzard revealed the first three of Diablo IV’s character classes, all playable at the show:
- The Barbarian, known for their unparalleled strength and brutal melee combat, utilizes a new and more powerful system in battle, Arsenal, which arms them with the ability to carry and rapidly switch between four different weapons at a time by assigning them to individual attacks.
- The Sorceress hearkens back to their Diablo II roots and shapes the elements to obliterate their foes by impaling them upon jagged spikes of ice, electrocuting them with bolts of lightning, or raining flaming meteors from the sky.
- The Druid is a savage shapeshifter whose updated playstyle empowers them to fluidly transform between werewolf, werebear, and human form to unleash the raw power of nature’s fury on the forces of the Burning Hells.
These three iconic characters honor the legacy of the franchise and exemplify how Diablo IV builds upon the series’ history by preserving the core Diablo fantasy while allowing players to explore untapped gameplay possibilities with fresh inspiration. Players will be able to experiment and discover countless character builds through customizable talent trees and skills, a deep loot system filled with legendary and set items to collect, runes and rune word combinations, and even personalized mounts for traversing the open world.
Diablo IV is being developed using modern technology that pushes the franchise to dark, new depths. This technology is at the heart of everything players will see, hear, and feel—delivering much higher fidelity and a more engrossing experience. It opens up countless possibilities for the Diablo series, from smooth character animations, such as the Druid’s fluid shapeshifting, to the seamless, vast overworld players will travel across in search of the next loot-filled underground dungeon. Ultimately, Diablo IV will ground players in a grittier and deadlier world.
Here are some more details, via the Diablo IV official website:
Classes – Heroes of Sanctuary
The first three champions are ready to face the unspeakable horrors that blight this land. Choose wisely; your world depends on it.
- Barbarian – The Barbarian has unparalleled strength and expertly wields an entire arsenal in battle, with a weapon for every occasion. He bellows intimidating war cries and unleashes ground-shaking slams to send approaching hordes reeling.
- Sorceress – The Sorceress shapes the elements into whatever form is necessary to ensure victory, from hurling bolts of lightning, impaling her foes upon jagged spikes of ice, and raining flaming meteors down from the sky.
- Druid – The Druid is a savage shapeshifter, fluidly transforming between the forms of a towering bear or a vicious werewolf to fight alongside the creatures of the wild. He also commands the power of earth, wind, and storm, unleashing nature’s wrath to devastating effect.
Gameplay – Abandon All Hope
Endless demons to slaughter. Deep customization through Talents, Skill Points, Runes, and Legendary loot. Randomized dungeons contained in a dynamic open world. Survive and conquer darkness—or succumb to the shadows.
World – Explore Sanctuary
Discover the world of Sanctuary as you continue the battle against the Burning Hells. Join other adventurers, fight demonic forces, and uncover lost secrets.
- Scosglen – The untamed lands of Scosglen are as verdant as they are deadly. Those who get lost in the woods seldom return, their screams muted by spine-chilling howls. The druids who dwell here will do anything to protect their way of life, including risking the loss of their humanity to unleash the beast within.
- Fractured Peaks – Rocky, mountainous surroundings have kept most visitors away from this frozen landscape. Devout monks seeking refuge in the isolation of the Peaks find enlightenment, blissfully ignorant of the horrors lurking beneath the crags.
- Dry Steppes – In the Dry Steppes, lives are worth less than water. Rugged barbarians, ruthless mercenaries, and cannibalistic blood mages fight for survival in the harsh and unforgiving salt flats that only the most hardy—or desperate—call home.
- Hawezar – Poison, disease, and despair spread over this region like mold, growing and infecting everything within. Hawezar is a deadly land, even to those familiar with its tortuous—and torturous—paths. Witches intone long-forgotten curses within the swamps, and only those who deal in death—or wish to find it—willingly come here.
- Kehjistan – Countless wars and demonic invasions have left what was once a bastion of civilization in ruins, though evil still stirs beneath the desert sands. The people who live here used to enjoy opulence and luxuries; now they face fear and paranoia, as cultists work in the shadows to unearth ancient evils…
Story – Meet Your Maker
Lilith has returned to Sanctuary, summoned by a dark ritual after eons in exile. Her return ushers in an age of darkness and misery.
- Legends of Creation – An old legend has it that Sanctuary was created by the union of an angel and a demon, and that their descendants—humanity—built villages, then cities and empires, spreading across the land to form the world’s cultures and civilization.
- A Regin of Enmity – Chaos threatens to consume Sanctuary as evil and impiety continue to spread. Depraved demons and corrupted wildlife roam the land unchecked, as terrified townsfolk huddle in dark corners trying to survive one more day.
- Cult of Personality – The pious plead for guidance from their faith, but doubts have them feeling that their devotion is misplaced. Lilith’s return has spawned a new wave of cultists and worshippers, but regardless of dogma, all prayers remain unanswered.
- Daughter of Hatred – The daughter of Mephisto awakens burning urges in the hearts of those around her, be it demon, human or beast. Profound fears, unchecked rage, repressed impulses, sinful desires—all are brought forth violently and irresistibly by her mere presence.
- Unstoppable Evil – As darkness returns to Sanctuary, a brave few dare to face this threat. But what fate awaits them in a land forsaken by hope, valor, wisdom, and justice?
Watch the announcement trailers below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.
