While Diablo 5 was announced at Blizzcon 2026 just a couple weeks ago, the game doesn’t come out until spring 2029. But it seems like Chris Wilson, former co-founder of Path of Exile developer Grinding Gear Games, is tentatively excited for Blizzard’s next ARPG. <\/p>\n
Wilson, who left Grinding Gear Games in 2023, released a video over the weekend where he broke down everything Blizzard has announced about the upcoming Diablo game, from its story to itemization and monster levels. And while he did have some nitpicks, it seems like he’s cautiously optimistic that the Diablo series is headed in the right direction, because of the influence the seminal Diablo 2 seems to have on it so far. <\/p>\n
Wilson is particularly fond of the new character and inventory screen, where items once again boast different sizes, along with stats that are more in line with Diablo 2. However, there are some modern choices, such as a flat DPS number on weapons, that rub him the wrong way. Still, he recognizes that Diablo 5 can’t fully embrace Diablo 2’s at-times clunky design. <\/p>\n
“There’s a bigger question if they’re going to go all the way and risk alienating the modern audience that they’ve cultivated over the last couple of decades,” he said. “I don’t think they necessarily should. While selfishly it’d be amazing for them to make a new version of Diablo 2 just for me, I don’t think they could justify an investment of that size for a game with a niche audience.” <\/p>\n
Instead, Wilson expects that Diablo V will try to adopt the best of both worlds, with a “modern ARPG that borrows heavily from Diablo 2, rather than a true return to the design philosophy of Diablo 2.” <\/p>\n
But even though the game is still a couple years away, according to Blizzard, Wilson thinks Diablo 5 is going to end up delayed. He says, “My best guess is the game won’t be ready for spring 2029, but that’s okay, delays happen and are normal in this industry. I can’t count the amount of times I had to delay a Path of Exile League release and players were okay with it.” <\/p>\n
<\/p>\nDiablo 4 Lord of Hatred and Paladin Class Screenshots<\/h3>\n