Is Blizzard making Diablo 4?

Despite our best hopes, Blizzard has consistently denied the existence of Diablo 4. Many thought it could be shown at Blizzcon 2018, but Blizzard denied there was ever an announcement planned. However, Blizzards said last August that there are “multiple Diablo projects in the works.” It’s truly hard to believe one of them isn’t a true sequel.

Now that an official Blizzard artbook ad has directly referenced Diablo 4, it’s looking like an official announcement is imminent. It’ll likely happen at Blizzcon 2019, which is happening November 1-2. As reported by VGC, an ad in the German game magazine Game Star states the artbook has “more than 500 artworks from Diablo 1, Diablo 2, Diablo 3 and Diablo 4.” Yep, it just comes right out and says it.

A few days after this leak, Twitter user WeakAuras shared a legit page from the art book that reveals Lilith’s (the Queen of the Succubi from Diablo 2) return in Diablo 4. “Lilith’s debut in Diablo IV is a reimagining of her form that is far different from her previous appearance,” reads the page. At the bottom, you can see new concept art. The evidence is mounting.

The existence of Diablo 4 has practically been an open secret for a while. Blizzard itself has been making small hints toward its existence for years. Community manager Brandy “Nevalistis” Camel’s statement at the start of Diablo 3: Season 14 hinted at the future of the series.

“The forges here at Blizzard are burning hot. And we have multiple Diablo projects in the works. Some of them are going to take longer than others. But we may have some things to show you later this year. We hope you stay tuned, while we work to bring these Diablo experiences to life. None of this would be possible without the support that you have shown us for over 20 years.

“So whether you first joined us in Diablo 3 or you are a seasoned veteran, thanks you. Diablo is, and always will be, part of Blizzard’s identity, and we can’t wait for the future.”

The statement was accompanied by a video called The Future of Diablo. 

The “some things to show you later this year” turned out to be a mobile game called Diablo Immortal, which wasn’t received well by core Blizzard fans watching the opening ceremony at Blizzcon. Blizzard has reiterated since that more Diablo is in production, but the terms “projects” and “experiences” could mean anything, from a proper big new Diablo game to, who knows, a ten minute VR demo, or maybe even a TV series.

In February 2019 during an Activision Blizzard earnings call the publisher laid off hundreds of employees, but reiterated its commitment to Blizzard’s big series. In the same earnings call COO Coddy Johnson suggested that “Diablo’s development headcount will grow substantially as the teams work on several projects underway for the franchise”. There’s nothing imminent, however, as no major new games are coming from Blizzard in 2019.

A report from Kotaku in June 2019 claimed that a new Starcraft FPS was cancelled to devote “more resources into the Diablo and Overwatch franchises.” Kotaku previously reported on the current state of Fenris, the supposed development code name for Diablo 4.

What are the latest Diablo 4 rumblings?

  • An official ad in a German magazine makes an overt reference to Diablo 4
  • According to a user on the forum IcyVeins, Blizzard has already shown Diablo 4 to employees. This can’t be confirmed, but it’s something to go on.
  • Activision said in its quarterly earnings call earlier this year that Blizzard is “not planning a major frontline release for 2019.” Though that doesn’t 100% mean we won’t get any surprises.
  • Blizzard is not attending Gamescom 2019 so if there is any kind of announcement in the works, it would more likely be at BlizzCon this year.

These are the suggestions that point towards Diablo 4’s possible existence

There are some hints that Blizzard are working on something very traditional. In June 2018 Blizzard started recruiting for some telling roles. “We are working on a new, unannounced Diablo project. Are you a skilled Dungeon Artist? Come work with us, and together we will build something exceptional,” read one post. 

The dungeon artist’s responsibilities include building “atmospheric dungeons” as you’d expect, “with a focus on composition, detail and mood, while ensuring that the gameplay space is readable.”

Blizzard was also looking for a technical artist to “help the environment and prop teams define, create, maintain and streamline the modelling and world-building pipeline and processes to bring to life the world of Sanctuary.”

The good news: these roles are unlikely to be related to Diablo Immortal. It sounds like much of Diablo Immortal’s development is in the hands of Tencent, and Immortal looks too far along to need new artists and designers. These roles are likely to be supporting a proper Blizzard joint. Bad news: if Blizzard was recruiting in 2018 it’s unlikely we’ll see the fruits of that work for a few years yet.

Going further back, to 2016, Blizzard was searching for a game director to “lead the Diablo series into the future.” The hire would be “the vision holder for the franchise, setting the creative goals for the team”. The role required “an awareness of global player behaviour and customs to ensure that design decisions are relevant for international regions”, which certainly plays into the announcement of Diablo Immortal. 

I wouldn’t make any guesses about a Diablo 4 release date yet, then. But considering the snippets of news and rumours we’ve heard in recent years it seems reasonable to hope for a new Diablo action RPG at some stage, even though it could be quite a wait still. Let’s spend that time speculating about what Blizzard could do next with the Diablo series. 

source: gamezpot.com