Blizzard Entertainment Announced Diablo V

Blizzard Entertainment announced its latest addition to the iconic Diablo series during BlizzCon 2026. Initially, the team was considering an expansion to the latest title – Diablo IV. However, with the creative ambition they had for the new title, they ultimately decided to make it into a full, separate installment in the Diablo series.

The new game is set 100 years after the events of Diablo IV. After Elias and Lilith died, Sanctuary descended into the apocalypse. Diablo, the Lord of Terror, finally won and took over the human world, getting a step closer to invading the Heavens. The Lord of Terror is present from the beginning, guiding the plot of the game. In the new chapter, you'll become the Heir to Westmarch, and you'll need to build an army of allies willing to push the Lord of Terror off his throne. The developers hinted at complex, thoughtfully written storylines by saying that the allies who join you on this journey to dethrone Diablo are "fascinating characters with pasts, stakes, and scars from surviving in Diablo’s Sanctuary."

The new environments are going to be eye candy for those who love gloomy, depressing, post-apocalyptic scenery. In Blizzard's words, Sanctuary under Diablo's rule is a "haunting, desolate land shaped by despair". The world in the new game is a procedural landscape that is constantly changing, and you'll have to find a way around it.

During BlizzCon, the developers announced the first three character classes in the new game: Demon Hunter, Monk, and Plague Knight. The Demon Hunter attacks from the shadows and leaps across the battlefield as they demolish their victims. The Monk is the master of martial arts, fighting evil creatures with fists and using holy power to defeat their enemies. The Plague Knight is a walking death trap – they spread fatal disease as they move through the battlefield.

When it comes to items, Diablo V's itemization is largely influenced by that of Diablo II. Inventory is your holy grail, determining how you make use of your arsenal. Plus, in Diablo V, we'll see the return of gear-based sets. Diablo II-inspired Runes and Runewords will be there to make it easier to browse through all of your boosts. 

The previous installment in the series broke Blizzard's sales record, becoming its fastest-selling title ever. It gained extremely positive reviews from both critics and gamers. However, with the recent release of the Lord of Hatred DLC, Steam reviews started to go down rapidly, since players were not thrilled to discover that, suddenly, the game they purchased at full price became basically unplayable without the DLC. Blizzard's DLC policy for the new title is unknown, but since they are looking to take players' feedback into consideration throughout development, we might expect fairer access to the game and more transparent pricing.

As the company stated, Diablo V is still in its early developmental stages. Starting next year, Blizzard is planning to share regular updates on the process, throwing in some new details and revealing new game features every now and then. The company is planning to release the game in spring 2029. What's more, just a year later, Blizzard is going to release a new StarCraft game, which they also teased at BlizzCon 2026.

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