After a notable appearance at The Game Awards 2022 and a beta this March, Diablo 4 is set for next June. A release expected for almost ten years and a major challenge for a struggling Blizzard.
[Updated March 9, 2023 3:58 PM] Diablo is more than a franchise, it’s a religion, a name that has dominated the hack’n’slash genre for over twenty years. With its unique style, rich story and enjoyable gameplay, the series continues to excite fans. Blizzard has understood this well and is counting on Diablo 4 to revive itself after three years of failed releases and internal and external scandals, all on the sidelines of the takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. Suffice to say that the release of Diablo 4 is an event for the video game world, and given the imminent arrival of its beta, we do all the essential information about it.
This is the information not to be missed after these few minutes of epic combat in a cinematic of which only Blizzard has the secret, Diablo 4 will be released on June 6, 2023 on PC via Battle.net, PS5, PS4, Xbox One and Xbox Series. A release awaited for almost a decade by fans of the series, and a game that is both innovative and full of promise if we are to believe the latest statements from Blizzard. It is true that the American studio has an interest in going straight on the issues of in-game monetization and randomness if it does not want to repeat the scandal that was the release of Diablo Immortal.
As often in recent years, Diablo 4 will be released in three different editions, a Standard edition (€59.99 on PC, €69.99 on consoles), a Digital Deluxe edition (€79.99 on PC, €89.99 on consoles) and an Ultimate Edition (€89.99 on PC, €99.99 on consoles). Besides the differences in terms of Diablo 3, Diablo 4 and World of Warcraft cosmetics, it can be noted that only the Deluxe and Ultimate versions will give early access to the game 4 days before its release, and that all pre-orders will allow access in advance to the open beta of the game which will take place later in the year. The different editions:
Standard :
Deluxe:
Ultimate :
After the relative scandal surrounding the release of Diablo Immortal (quickly renamed Diablo Immoral by fans), Blizzard badly needed some good publicity at The Game Awards 2022. It was at the ceremony that Diablo IV appeared for the second time this year, revealing a trailer in synthetic images and new information. And the legendary hack’n’slash license seems to be making a comeback. In addition to the relatively impressive graphics observed this summer in the trailer just above, and its still enjoyable combat, the game presented us with some new features in a Diablo game. We find there the visual character customization, which takes an apparent part in the game without seeming for the moment very advanced, but also that of style of play which offers you different ways to go and slaughter demons. Of course, the latter goes through different objects and skill trees that you can equip and unlock as you wish.
In addition to these relatively expected elements, we also had the right to some statistics and size information during the Xbox Showcase last summer. Diablo IV will include more than 150 dungeons, which you can explore at your leisure thanks to the new open world system. These dungeons will be divided into different categories, and some Strongholds can be taken from the hands of Evil to be transformed into welcoming cities. A feature that allows you to have a real impact on the world around you by shaping it through your different choices. Speaking of impact on the world, you can also create groups of players to overcome World Boss events for an even more focused experience on multiplayer interaction.
To make a good role-playing game, you must of course offer several game archetypes to your players. The keystone of Diablo games, classes are of course part of the gameplay of the future Diablo 4. There are currently 5 different types of characters, with more or less expected classes. First, the eternal Barbarians, who specialize in hand-to-hand combat and crowd control, second, the Druids, who transform from one animal to another to fend off waves of attackers while commanding the magic of wind, earth and storm. The third class offered in Diablo 4 are the sinister Necromancers, who use blood and shadow magic to defeat their opponents, while the Rogues are peerless fighters mastering ranged damage and melee combat. Finally, the last class announced is the Sorceress, a mage controlling the ferocity of nature.
If Diablo has always established itself as a cooperative game, generally up to four players, Diablo IV intends to push the plug a little further. The game takes up its principle of groups, which can go from 1 to 4 players, but its open world really embraces its MMO ambition. Indeed, the game will only be accessible online, and different groups of players will be able to meet on the large expanses of its plains, deserts, roads and mountains and participate in common activities (world bosses, events, etc.) . The dungeons will remain instanced so there’s no way to come across another group of adventurers there.
We are not going to cut corners, yes Diablo 4 will fully integrate crossplay between consoles and PC. As the first title in the franchise to be released on PC and consoles, the game had to integrate elements of communication between its different media, in the name of a more developed multiplayer experience than ever. PS5, Xbox Series X|S and mouse keyboard users will therefore be able to share their games fully from A to Z. Also note that all multiplayer content will be available in crossplay, including major world events that bring together several groups. of heroes.