At last year’s BlizzCon event, Blizzard finally revealed thatDiablo 4is officially in development. Of course, players who have been closely following news about the game would knowthe disappointment of fans during BlizzCon 2018likely influenced this announcement, as when it was thought thatDiablo 4would be announced at the event, Blizzard revealed the mobile gameDiablo Immortal.
Now thatDiablo 4is officially on the way, some fans wonder when the game will see the light of day. Although realistically speaking,Diablo 4could still be years away from release, here are all the rumors and theories on when players should expect to see theDiablofranchise’s next mainline installment.
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2020 Release Rumor
Shortly after the official announcement ofDiablo 4last 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 thatDiablo 4would 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 ofDiablo 3, which launched just before the PS4 and Xbox One.
As of this writing, Blizzard still hasn’t confirmedDiablo 4for thePS5 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 ofDiablo 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.
Diablo 4’s Likeliest Release Date
The question now is, when should fans expect the release ofDiablo 4?It is worth remembering thatDiablo 3was officially announced in 2008, and Blizzard launched the game in 2012. Similarly,Diablo 2was 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 mainlineDiablogames, it is likely that similar toDiablo 2and3,Diablo 4could very well release within 3-4 years at the least.
Duringthe official unveiling ofDiablo 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 developDiablo 2and3, it could mean thatDiablo 4will take even longer. Of course, a long wait time may not be what someDiablofans 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 onDiablo 4are still being kept under wraps, but players should expect that it will be bigger than any of its predecessors. As for now, the best thingDiablofans should do is to wait forBlizzCon 2021, where Blizzard is expected to share more on whatDiablo 4brings to the table, and even as a long shot, a release date.
Diablo 4is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
