As announced at BlizzCon 2019 opening ceremony, the long-awaited Diablo 4 is set to launch. With its lengthy, high-pitch cinematic expression and its renewed focus on all things grimdark, Diablo 4 made quite an exclusive impression on the BlizzCon show floor.
But the sad truth is with the vibe out there; fans will still have to wait to get their hands on the game. After the game, a panel that included director Luis Barriga came together to discuss the release date for the title is still ahead. ‘We are not coming out soon. Not even Blizzard soon,’ he noted. Honestly, is this a bad thing? It isn’t; however, it means Blizzard would have more time to focus on the game’s engine, so it fits next-generation consoles.
Allen Adham, the executive producer on Diablo 4, reported to Daily Star, saying: ‘We don’t have anything specific to announce with regards to next-gen consoles at the moment, but be assured we have our eyes on them.’
Statistically, this would be the first Diablo that launches on PC and consoles simultaneously, and it seems that Blizzard has been working towards that. Players should be assured of a future-proof Diablo 4 release. Moreover, Diablo 3 was launched back in 2012, and it still being enjoyed by most people to this day—on that note, Blizzard wants the same for Diablo 4.
Looking at successful game launches, it’s evident that connecting players from different zones is what keeps the game exciting. On that note, Allen Adham explained how conversations were still on-going with Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox, and the Diablo team wants to include cross-play at the launch of the game.
He also added, saying: ‘As gamers, we get very excited about cross-play. So, when it comes to the technical details involved, and we’re working towards that with the first-parties, but our goal remains to get cross-play in Diablo 4.’
Also, it’s important to now that Diablo 4 will be online-based. This would allow the game function in a real oyster where other players can encounter human players as they explore. It will be more like an MMORPG. Still, Blizzard says Diablo 4 would be player-focused, and that the social side of the game would be an important part of Diablo’s four experience.
Allen said: ‘the social side of the game is something to focus on in this project. Merely looking at Diablo 4, the implications of the social aspect may not be immediately perceived.’
But with time, players would start to acknowledge the social aspect of the game is vital—just the act of playing is fantastic, compared to the prestige players would get from showing their stats to their peers across the map.
Adding cross-play, then, is sure for Diablo 4—since Blizzard will be connecting players to Diablo 4, their studio also plans on making the game function across platforms, not just continents. Sounds interesting!
Diablo 4 is under on-going development and is set to come out on Xbox One, PC, PS4 and hopefully next-gen consoles (PS5 & Xbox Scarlett)
