To kick off BlizzCon, a fan event that comes after the company’s lengthy controversy involving the temporary banning of a Hearthstone pro for supporting the Hong Kong protests, came a long expected announcement: Diablo IV is coming. Here’s a look at the lengthy cinematic trailer Blizzard introduced the game with, which has become a studio staple:
The trailer, like most Blizzard trailers, is cool as hell! It’s dark and gross, which lines up with previous rumors Diablo IV would be adopting a more horror-y look in line with Diablo II. It’s been a long time since the ridiculous “rainbow” controversy that Diablo III once faced.
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Here’s Blizzard’s official description of Diablo IV, which fills in a bit of the setting:
“Diablo IV takes place many years after the events of Diablo III, after millions have been slaughtered by the actions of the High Heavens and Burning Hells alike. In the vacuum of power, a legendary name resurfaces.”
The trailer doesn’t actually show the game, which isn’t super surprising because we’ve had a lot of Diablo games at this point and it’s unlikely Blizzard is going to seriously shake up a successful formula, and it doesn’t come with a release date. It’s highly unlikely Diablo IV is coming anytime this year, but we’re likely to learn more about the game as BlizzCon unfolds.
Later, Blizzard did actually show off the game, which looked, well, very Diablo-y.
“ Diablo IV is darkness, world, and legacy,” said game director Luis Barriga. “We are going back to the franchise’s darker roots. It’ll mean blood and gore, it’ll mean occult rituals.”
At the event, Barriga confirmed the obvious: it’s an isometric RPG and it’s eventually coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. (No word on Switch, but it seems possible?) The three classes Blizzard is talking about are barbarian, sorceress, and druid, though more are likely.
A big focus of the game is meeting up with other players in the world, players you can interact and trade with—or kill, if you choose.
A small slice of the game is playable at BlizzCon this weekend.
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