At last year’s BlizzCon event, Blizzard finally revealed that Diablo 4 is officially in development. Of course, players who have been closely following news about the game would know the disappointment of fans during BlizzCon 2018 likely influenced this announcement, as when it was thought that Diablo 4 would be announced at the event, Blizzard revealed the mobile game Diablo Immortal.
Now that Diablo 4 is officially on the way, some fans wonder when the game will see the light of day. Although realistically speaking, Diablo 4 could still be years away from release, here are all the rumors and theories on when players should expect to see the Diablo franchise’s next mainline installment.
Shortly after the official announcement of Diablo 4 last year, a rumor began circulating online that Blizzard is all set to release the game this year. Of course, even then, a 2020 release date is not at all realistic. However, some fans were confused when Blizzard revealed that Diablo 4 would be a game for the PC and current-generation consoles, which is why some speculated that the game would be released this year, before the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Although a release date one year after the game’s official announcement is a long shot, fans initially thought Blizzard is following the release pattern of Diablo 3, which launched just before the PS4 and Xbox One.
As of this writing, Blizzard still hasn’t confirmed Diablo 4 for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. However, given that the game is expected to release in a few years, it is more than likely that next-generation versions of the game will also be available, especially if Blizzard wants to capture console gamers transitioning from current-gen to next-gen. Nonetheless, with this rumor dead, there’s really not much more that has any weight to it out there.
As for an update on the development of Diablo 4, fans shouldn’t expect any announcements this year, given that BlizzCon 2020 has been canceled. However, according to Blizzard, it will host an online event next year that is scheduled for February 2021.
The question now is, when should fans expect the release of Diablo 4? It is worth remembering that Diablo 3 was officially announced in 2008, and Blizzard launched the game in 2012. Similarly, Diablo 2 was first announced back in September of 1997, and the game was officially launched nearly four years later in June 2000. Now, looking at the company’s history of releasing mainline Diablo games, it is likely that similar to Diablo 2 and 3, Diablo 4 could very well release within 3-4 years at the least.
During the official unveiling of Diablo 4, game director Luis Barriga said that “a game of this scope takes time. We’re not coming out soon – not even Blizzard soon.” Unfortunately, Barriga didn’t clarify what he meant by “Blizzard soon.” However, if it was a reference to the 3-4 years it took to develop Diablo 2 and 3, it could mean that Diablo 4 will take even longer. Of course, a long wait time may not be what some Diablo fans wanted to hear, but if it means a larger and more exciting game, then 4-5 years of development could be worth it.
In the end, there are many factors to consider when predicting a game’s release date. At the moment, specific details about what players can expect on Diablo 4 are still being kept under wraps, but players should expect that it will be bigger than any of its predecessors. As for now, the best thing Diablo fans should do is to wait for BlizzCon 2021, where Blizzard is expected to share more on what Diablo 4 brings to the table, and even as a long shot, a release date.
Diablo 4 is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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