Diablo 4 Release Date – Changes, Rumors and Upcoming Diablo 4 Alpha

Diablo 4, the hotly anticipated sequel to the popular Blizzard franchise is likely getting a 2023 release. The latest installment was first revealed at BlizzCon in 2019, giving fans assurance that a sequel to 2009’s Diablo 3 is finally coming. While the game is being worked on behind closed doors, we do know quite a bit about what shape the final game is going to date. It looks like the title is going to be taking an entirely new approach to the franchise, reinventing it while keeping to the same stylistic roots. This is everything we know about the Diablo 4 release date and what is going to be inside of the game.

Diablo 4 was first revealed in 2019, but fans have been hearing rumours about its development for quite a while. It comes after Blizzard announced a mobile spin-off to the game in 2018, to an overwhelmingly negative reaction. With a new title announcement coming in 2019, this just about made up for the 2018 debacle. Although, it does look like the Diablo 4 release date is still a way off.

The article was updated on June 22, 2021.

What is Diablo 4 Released?

The bad news with Diablo is we don’t have a set release date right now. The earliest estimate is 2022, but more likely 2023 as the rough release date. Remember there isn’t a clear Diablo 4 release date announced by Blizzard.

The game is still early in development, with very little updates released to the public. However, there is a clear other factor at work over the last few years. We know most game developer’s have been impacted by Covid 19, from hotly anticipated games having to basically skip the QA, phase to Nintendo having a slate empty aside from Wii ports. Blizzard isn’t immune to this slowdown, and we’ve noticed a knock on effect with Overwatch 2’s development too.

Blizzard can take a long time for full follow ups to their big games. Diablo fans have done a lot of waiting, while related titles and remakes are released rather than new ones. It does look like their patience will be rewarded, even if the Diablo 4 release date isn’t this year.

While we don’t have a solid release date, we have been getting some solid looks at the game’s development so far with quarterly development blogs following up on the game’s reveal. As far as fans have been told, the title isn’t coming out soon. While this comment was years ago, development delays over 2020 have probably meant it is still just as true as it was in 2019.

Diablo 4 Alpha Date

There is a high likelihood Diablo 4 devs open up an Alpha test server, as was done with Diablo II: Resurrected. There has been several leaks that point towards a late 2021 announcement for an Alpha test. Nothing has been confirmed yet, officially by Blizzard, with their official forum post only stating that potential alpha/beta participants should sign up on the official Diablo 4 web page.

Based on a late 2021/2022 Alpha test, we can expect Diablo to move into Beta in late 2022 and potentially be released during 2023. Based on how methodically Blizard approaches big title releases, we can take hints from both Overwatch and WoW:Shadowlands content cycles to tweak the timelines over the upcoming months.

Diablo 4 – What Do We Know So Far?

The latest info comes from the most recent ActivisionBlizzard earnings call for Q1 2021 and BlizzConLine 2021. When talking about the title it was said that Diablo 4 will  “advance the art of the action-RPG genre”. While the hype statement in itself isn’t giving much info, we at least know we are still talking about an action-RPG type game.

We do know quite a bit about what the game is going to feature as well. The title is going to include classic Diablo classes, but actually introduce some new ones too. One new class is coming to the game at least, having shown up in other series titles, but more might be added before the final release.

Diablo 4 Rogue Class

Diablo 4 Story and Villains

It looks like one of the villains is going to be the daughter of an antagonist from Diablo 2, Mephisto. The game is also due to have a shared open world. This is a pretty different direction for the series. Having an online over-world section is going to seriously change the direction of the series. Of course since the game is still early in development, we don’t have any guarantees that all of this will stick around in the final project. Games make massive changes through development, Overwatch was originally an RPG and that turned into something completely different. So by the time Diablo 4 release date rolls around, it might not be quite as radical as fans assume.

Based on the initial trailer, Lilith the mother of the Nephalem, appears to play a major part in Diablo’s story. The daughter of the Lord of Hatred Dul’Mephistos, has been present in the game’s lore for quite awhile, and we might see a story develop around her rise to legendary power and the player’s battle to defeat her.

Lilith has already become a cosplayer favorite, with plenty of famous cosplayers jumping onto the hype wagon.

Stefanie Drew as Lilith / Costume by HenchmenStudios

Diablo 4 Rogue Class

Rogue is the fourth class announced earlier this year. Envisioned as a fast-moving stealth assassin, Rogues will dip in and out of fights with insane DPS and speed. The Rogue announcement trailer also gave us some of the backstory of this class, as well as snippets of interesting combat mechanics.

Check out the second Diablo 4 trailer released in February 2021:

Inventory, Items, Skills and Talents Revamp

The talent system and items are getting revamps and tweaks in Diablo 4.

First up, the annoying Diablo inventory system is finally getting a revamp. Blizzard devs have stated the goal is to “avoid interrupting gameplay with pockets of inventory management”. We can likely expect a more open sided inventory similar to WoW or the Witcher series to come into the game.

The skill and talent systems are also taking in changes with a more Assassins Creed Valhalla type skill/talents. Players can specialize in several different branches of skills unique to their class, but can ultimately fill about half of the total skill tree. This gives the opportunity for very niche and specific skill builds by players, with added flexibility to suit each players’ style. Adding to this change is also the removal of Ancient items and replacing them with sockets you can add to your weapons.

Both of this systems combined will make build paths and unique builds way more fun to play and create.

© Blizzard Entertainment

Diablo 4 PvP and Esports Potential

The Diablo 4 PvP mode has also been detailed to some extent. This is a new feature for Diablo and it’s sure to make the next game feel like something completely fresh. Called Fields of Hatred, it gives a more head-to-head way for Diablo players to compete. The new system features Shards as a currency that can be used to obtain loot. They will drop from both players and NPCs in the area.

Interestingly, the PvP aspects also open the opportunity for esports competitions where players or teams compete to either battle each other or the PvE content. Do not be surprised if Blizzard pursues a blend of competition like the Mythic Dungeon Invitational + Arena Competitions present in WoW. With the system laid out, only simple tweaks can make Diablo a truly competitive experience.

Diablo 4 Release Date and other Diablo Games

While Diablo 4 might still be quite a while away, there is another Diablo game coming soon. Diablo 2 Resurrected is a reworked version of the last game. This title already has pre-orders live and fans can probably expect it to come out before the next Diablo title launches.

That’s everything we know about Diablo 4 release date and the content of the game. While it does look like there is quite a wait still left for Diablo, the next game should be a big leap forward for the series.

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