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Diablo IV: Everything We Know

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Diablo IV: Everything We Know

The most anticipated night in the gaming industry finally took place. The Game Awards 2022, as expected, featured a boatload of surprises we still can't get over. In a remarkable performance, Halsey took to the stage to announce the game's release with a colossal backdrop of Lilith, the story’s antagonist. Although the upcoming game has been on the grapevine since its announcement during BlizzCon 2019, it is now clear when to expect it. 

Diablo IV, one of the games to look forward to in 2023, promises to keep its legacy of dungeon crawling while adding new spooky and gory elements for the next generation of consoles. The foreboding movie-like trailer gives a glimpse of what fans should expect, and we can only assume the full game will surpass expectations. But with little to divulge at the time of writing, we had to voyage over and under, seeking the nitty gritty (like Sherlock Holmes on a new mysterious case). So if Diablo IV is part of your next year's list of games, here's everything you should know about it. 

What is Diablo IV?

Diablo IV is an action role-playing game and the fourth installment in the hack-and-slash hellscape series Diablo. Activision Blizzard announced the return of the dungeon crawler, which will grace consoles on June 6, 2023. The medieval RPG will feature returning elements from the series, including gradually challenging dungeons and loots that increase a player's skill set. Diablo IV builds on the foundation of fighting enemies using different customizable character class skills. Players can improve their skills by using talent trees or scoring more equipment during loot.

The fourth installment will also feature a vast open world with a foreboding gory atmosphere, dark humor, and more blood-shedding. A representative from Blizzard's team confirms the expansive world, saying the game aims to create a more “grounded” story than its predecessor. To achieve this, Diablo IV focuses more on a gnostic theme featuring biblical, demonic, and occult elements as opposed to the conventional high fantasy theme.

Story

Diablo IV: Everything We Know

Following the fall of Prime Evil and Malthael, the Angel of Death, in Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, the denizens of the world of Sanctuary are grappling with the aftermath of Black Soulstone's destruction. The balancing forces of angels and demons are also lost in the battle, which leaves an immense power vacuum. Despite the enormous loss of lives, the residents are gradually returning to normalcy. 

Prior to her vanquishing, a demon and angel relationship ensues between Lilith, daughter of Mephisto, and Angel Inarius, which brings the Sanctuary into being. The Sanctuary is supposed to be a place of comfort for people who want to get away from the Burning Hells and the High Heavens Conflict. However, the unsanctioned relationship leads to the rise of a protagonist race, the Nephalem. As offspring of the two deities, the Nephalem are a thin line between angels and demons. As a result, they are superbly powerful, leading to fear and intimidation among the sanctuary's denizens. 

In a classic tale of pitchfork witch-hunting, the locals decide to destroy the superior race. However, out of motherly emote, Lilith unleashes hell on the Sanctuanarias, which leads to her exile by Inarius to avoid further damage.

Years later, a cult group seizes the opportunity presented by the medieval world's lack of a tyrant. They summon Lilith-daughter of Mephisto and the game's main antagonist. Lilith is unequivocally determined to establish her grip on the Sanctuary and unleash her wrath on any denizens that oppose her rule.

Gameplay

So far, the game's trailer hints at a similar gameplay style to its prequel. Character progression makes a return, and you will have to live through 35 hours of gameplay to unlock level 45- quite the commitment. Exceptional combat skills largely depend on your character's boosts and attributes from looted treasures. However, some items will not equip you with the power you need. It's best to feast your eyes on skill upgrades, leveling, passives, items, primary stats, and maintaining a good balance. Moreover, endgame progression largely contributes to your character's power elevation. 

Furthermore, exploring the vast dark-age open environment has its own perks. Active exploration while playing the campaign mode reaps grand rewards thanks to the Renown system. Such rewards include adding skill points to your current choice of character and unlocking new ones too. Also, weapons in the game have a rarity ranking. The rarest weapons deal more damage to entities.

Moreover, some monster families from Diablo III will make a return. Players will get to reignite fights with the skeletons, fallen, and Khazra. You will also experience fresh gore monster faces, including the Drowned, the Cannibals, and the ocean's cursed undead. 

Undeniably, Diablo IV will be more taxing than its predecessor. Brace yourself for a plethora of bosses to inevitably take down, including the Drowned Witchm Andariel, Duriel, and The Blood Bishop. 

Trailer

Diablo IV | Official Release Date Trailer

If you're eager to have a first look into this epic, malevolent monster-filled RPG, well, get ready to whet your appetite. The Diablo IV trailer is a 2-minute, 58-second cinematic experience into what to expect next year. The trailer made its world premiere at the Game Awards 2022. If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, look above. 

Release Date, Platforms, and Editions

Diablo IV will be available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows on June 6, 2023. The game will feature cross-progression and cross-play on supported platforms. However, the game's system requirements have yet to be announced. 

Also, it's still unclear whether there's a probability of porting to Switch in the near future. As for additional DLC content, it's too early to tell whether players will need to pay top dollar for more of the heavy metal-inspired action. 

For more updates on the upcoming Diablo IV, you can follow the official social feed here. We'll be sure to drop more intriguing details on the game once they release right here on gaming.net.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up the fourth installment in the Diablo series? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

Evans I. Karanja is a freelance writer who loves to write about anything technology. He is always on the lookout for interesting topics, and enjoys writing about video games, cryptocurrency and blockchain and more. When not writing, he can be found playing video games or watching F1.