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Diablo IV – Classes, release date, and everything we know

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Jan
24
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Blizzard Entertainment’s highly anticipated Diablo IV will soon be upon us after over 10 years since the previous numbered entry. The fourth installment in the acclaimed action RPG series releases in just a few months. We’ve been gearing up for the release by compiling everything we know about Diablo IV, including the release date, classes, endgame, and more. 

As we prepare for another dive into the world of Sanctuary, we’ve learned tons of information about the game, such as story details and new and returning mechanics. Here’s everything we know about Diablo IV

Diablo IV – Everything we know

Diablo IV – Release date

The first thing we know about Diablo IV is the release date: June 6th, 2023. The game will cost $69.99 USD, and releases simultaneously on all current- and last-gen platforms: the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. 

Diablo IV – Classes

Another important thing we know about Diablo IV is the five character classes available at launch. They are: 

  • Barbarian: A melee-based weapon master who stomps and bellows.
  • Druid: A shapeshifter who wields natural magic.
  • Necromancer: A conjurer of undead armies.
  • Rogue: A versatile assassin with ranged and melee options.
  • Sorcerer: A master of destructive elemental magic.

Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Diablo IV – Endgame details

The endgame of Diablo IV is also something you might be curious about. After all, most of the time spent in these games occurs after clearing the main campaign. Endgame details are scarce, and they likely will remain scarce until the game releases in June. However, the developer emphasizes the significant time and effort it’s put into creating an endgame full of engaging content. In fact, Blizzard is so confident in Diablo IV’s endgame that it held a closed endgame beta for top players of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls and Diablo II: Resurrection.  They also stated the inclusion of a meta-leveling system similar to the Paragon levels in Diablo III, but further details have yet to be announced. Additionally, players can opt out of the main story’s content for all characters once they’ve cleared the story on one character. 

The lead systems designer, David Kim, has commented on the endgame. According to Kim, Diablo IV will have “more depth and replayability than what Paragon currently offers Diablo III.”

Diablo IV – Story details

In terms of the story, a significant amount of time has passed since the end of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. A definitive timeline has yet to be given, but it has been several decades. After many years, the world of Sanctuary has returned to darkness and the brink of apocalypse. Blizzard has teased that our player characters will rise to the occasion and act as beacons of light as they battle the demon Lilith, the game’s main antagonist. Story missions will only be available to players and their parties, so randoms can’t join and ruin the fun. The main campaign will also have a darker tone than previous installments and last roughly 35 hours. 

Returning characters

Lilith is a returning character from Diablo II, where she was a minor boss, but this time around she’s the big bad. Lore-wise, the game will explore her character heavily, including her role in creating Sanctuary. While not exactly a character, the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye from Diablo II also returns in Diablo IV.  Several other characters have been teased to return, but Blizzard is keeping them under wraps for now. When we see these characters, they will have been reimagined for the time skip by a new art team. 

Inarius Diablo IV everything we know

Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Open-world mechanics

Some more general things we know about Diablo IV’s campaign include that it is act-based, just like the previous games. However, the acts can be completed in any order since Diablo IV takes place in a persistent hub-style open world. This world is shared with other players and thus requires an always-online connection. Within this open world, players have complete freedom to roam around and kill enemies, who scale to the party’s levels. Players can also complete side objectives without engaging in the main story. Some of these side objectives include:

  • Dungeons, which take place in separate instances and have difficulty settings
  • Cellars, which are smaller dungeons with single mini-boss encounters
  • Enemy strongholds
  • World bosses
  • World events
  • Side quests
  • Fields of Hatred, which are zones of corruption in which players engage in PvPvE combat to escape with their loot, similar to Escape from Tarkov or Modern Warfare II‘s DMZ mode
Map Diablo IV everything we know

Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Blizzard stated the world of Diablo IV dwarfs the maps of previous games in size. It has introduced mounts to the game, so players can traverse it faster. The hub world comprises five separate biomes, each of which breaks down into several subregions. Each subregion acts as its own world instance, and players seamlessly transition through them as they travel the world. The biomes include:

  • The mountainous Fractured Peaks.
  • The deserts of the Dry Steppes.
  • The swampland of Hawezar.
  • The forests of Scosglen.
  • The ruins of Kehjistan.

As mentioned above, each of these regions can be completed in any order.

Gameplay mechanics

In terms of gameplay mechanics, there will be multiple skill trees for each class. They are split between passive and active skills. The developers decided to shift to more traditional skill trees to make Diablo IV more accessible to players new to the ARPG genre. Skill trees in Diablo IV are made up of many nodes, each of which splits outward into different abilities and upgrades for those abilities. Points spent in any of the nodes will go toward unlocking the next node. Additionally, players pay gold to refund their skill points right from the skill tree menu.  

Skilltree Diablo IV everything we know

Image via Blizzard Entertainment

We also know that rune words from Diablo II: Lords of Destruction are returning in Diablo IV. Players use these specific rune combinations to enhance their socketed items and change their properties. There will also be a new renown system. Players gain renown from completing various tasks related to exploring the world of Sanctuary. Renown carries across characters and can be redeemed for rewards like skill points, increases in the number of potions carried, and extra gold/experience. Old-school Diablo fans will also appreciate the inclusion of player vs. player combat in Diablo IV. We know that it will take place in the above-mentioned Fields of Hatred side activity.

Post-launch support

Blizzard is keeping specific details under wraps for now, but it’s apparent Diablo IV will have significant post-launch support as a live service game. Devs announced they have years of support planned for the game, including seasonal content and future expansions.

PC system requirements

You’ll have to wait a little longer if you’re looking for Diablo IV’s PC system requirements. Blizzard has yet to announce them, but we’ll keep this page updated as we learn more. 

You can pre-order Diablo IV on Battle.net. Pre-ordering grants access to the upcoming open beta and the Light Bearer Mount. 

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