After a pretty vague non-apology for its ongoing Hong Kong controversy, Blizzard wasted no time at Blizzcon confirming and showing off Diablo IV, coming to PC and consoles hopefully simultaneously. This next entry in the hellish action-RPG, set “many years later,” returns to the darker tone (and color palette) of the original games. The lengthy cinematic reveals demon mother Lilith as potentially the new big bad. Meanwhile, the gameplay trailer shows off the class powers, the new art style, as well as new gameplay features like mounts and PvP zones.
Blizzard also confirmed the other big leak: Overwatch 2. The hero shooter sequel finally adds something resembling a single-player mode explaining the narrative players previously had to imagine (with extra horniness). Alongside the greater emphasis on story missions and PvE in general, Overwatch 2 features new competitive modes, new character ability customization, and new characters period like a Black lady at last, Sojourn. Previous players can even carry over progress as well as share multiplayer environments with Overwatch 2.
Watch the first Diablo IV and Overwatch 2 trailers. And keep reading to learn why none of this was a surprise.
Welp, now Overwatch 2 has apparently leaked as well. A follow-up to the smash hit team-based hero shooter always seemed inevitable. But according to ESPN specific changes we’ll see in the sequel include new characters, new modes, new maps, and at last some kind of actual narrative-based single-player content. With all this news leaked, at this point protesting is the only real reason to go to Blizzcon.
BlizzCon is going to be an absolute disaster this year. The annual event is usually a fan celebration for all things Blizzard, from World of Warcraft to The Lost Vikings. But this year’s show, kicking off November 1, occurs during one of the biggest firestorms of controversy a video game publisher has faced in recent memory. And for once it doesn’t involve lootboxes. Blizzard is still facing pressure from all directions, from gamers to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for its decision to appeal to China and ban a pro Hearthstone player after voicing support for Hong Kong democracy.
One way Blizzard might distract irate players is by announcing cool new games at BlizzCon. And the reveal of Diablo IV might have been a pretty good distraction. But if all those announcements get leaked, well that just makes things worse, doesn’t it?
BlizzCon 2019 new Diablo 4 leaks in Germany.
If this is true, information about previously leaked Overwatch 2 may be correct. pic.twitter.com/J3cmfciGNt
— Naeri x 나에리 (@OverwatchNaeri) October 20, 2019
Much like how Overwatch for Nintendo Switch leaked thanks to a carrying case, Diablo IV has seemingly been spoiled by another piece of merchandise. A recent German ad for the upcoming book The Art of Diablo talks about how it has over 500 pieces of artwork from Blizzard’s Satanic action-RPG. And along with shouting out the first three games, the ad says it features Diablo IV artwork as well, a game that hasn’t been officially announced.
But it’s a no-brainer. After a rocky launch, Diablo III became a massive hit. Excitement for the franchise is higher than ever thanks to Diablo III coming to Nintendo Switch and the original game getting a PC re-release. The biggest drama at last year’s BlizzCon (now quaint in comparison) was over Diablo Immortal for mobile. So of course Blizzard should remind players that proper Diablo isn’t going anywhere.
Diablo IV is just a name though. BlizzCon still has plenty of opportunities to show us what the game is exactly. One earlier rumor suggested that a Dark Souls-style approach was once considered among the reboots. And beyond this, Blizzard could announce other games as well. Overwatch 2 is sounding increasingly likely.
Anyway, free Hong Kong.
