Blizzard Officially Announces Diablo IV with Nine-Minute Cinematic
Among the various franchises developed by Blizzard, the Diablo franchise has been seemingly stagnant for a very long time. Diablo III, which received critical acclaim, was released all the way back in 2012. Since then, fans hoping for another entry in the series have been left wanting, while Blizzard focuses on newer franchises like Overwatch. Now, however, all of that has changed. Earlier today, on the first day of BlizzCon 2019, Blizzard released a huge cinematic trailer (over nine minutes long), officially announcing Diablo IV.
Diablo IV Officially Announced at BlizzCon
“Diablo IV takes place many years after the events of Diablo III,” explains Blizzard; “after millions have been slaughtered by the actions of the High Heavens and Burning Hells alike. In the vacuum of power, a legendary name resurfaces.”
According to Blizzard, Diablo IV will be returning to the franchise’s “darker roots,” and the cinematic trailer certainly indicates that; the cinematic trailer is equal parts bloody and demonic. However, that isn’t actual gameplay. Fortunately, Blizzard also released a much shorter gameplay trailer which features the three classes announced so far; the Barbarian, Druid, and Sorceress.
“Diablo IV is being developed using modern technology that pushes the franchise to dark, new depths,” explains Blizzard; “This technology is at the heart of everything players will see, hear, and feel – delivering much higher fidelity and a more engrossing experience. It opens up countless possibilities for the Diablo series, from smooth character animations, such as the Druid’s fluid shapeshifting, to the seamless, vast overworld players will travel across in search of the next loot-filled underground dungeon. Ultimately, Diablo IV will ground players in a grittier and deadlier world.”
Of course, Blizzard did not give any indication of when the game’s release date might be. However, they did confirm that it will be coming to the PC, Xbox One, and PS4. Depending on the release date, it’s possible that it may come to next-gen consoles as well. However, confirmation of that is unlikely to come until next year.