Blizzard opened BlizzCon 2019 by addressing and apologizing for the way in which they handled the Hearthstone Hong Kong controversy, and then they announced Diablo IV.
The opening cinematic featured four adventurers fleeing from a horde of monsters while trying to unlock a mysterious door. The gorgeously rendered clip wasted no time in setting the stakes of the game, as all four adventurers end up getting killed off in rather gruesome succession. The end of the clip featured the bloody Summoning of Lilith, and it very much set a mature-rated tone for the game.
In fact, the game director mentioned that the game is a return to the series’ darker routes. It will also feature a more fleshed outlook at the world of Sanctuary, giving every class and enemy a sense of purpose and belonging. There will be enemy camps, friendly camps, as well as PVP zones where players can try to trade or murder each other.
Some gameplay for the game was shown off and it looks like a prettier, more detailed version of Diablo III. Combat wise, Diablo IV will borrow heavily from Diablo III and feature at least three classes: barbarian, sorceress and druid. The sorceress uses spells and magic, the barbarian makes use of hack and slash weapons, while the druid can transform into animals, including bears and wolves.
Diablo 4 was heavily rumoured for last year’s BlizzCon and many fans were disappointed by its absence. While no release date has been revealed there will be a Diablo IV panel that takes place directly after BlizzCon’s opening ceremonies.
Those at BlizzCon will be able to play an early demo live on the show floor. For everyone else, the game will be coming eventually to PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
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