Ever since Blizzard unveiled Diablo IV at BlizzCon early this November, the hype train has been nearly unstoppable. Since then, they’ve been slowly teasing bits and pieces of the game to fans through social media and forum updates.
The game won’t be coming out anytime soon. To quote game direction, Luis Barriga, “A game of this scope takes time. We’re not coming out soon, not even Blizzard soon.” So don’t expect to be running back to Sanctuary in 2020 – we might not even see the game in 2021.
But what we do see is the five zones that we’ll be adventuring through. These aren’t set in stone, but given how much work they’ve put in, there’s a very low chance that any of these zones would be cut. Of these zones, Scosglen is especially tantalizing to those Diablo fans that cling onto lore, especially those of us with a penchant for druidic magic.
A preview of new zones. pic.twitter.com/A5EMC5I4bY
— Diablo (@Diablo) November 2, 2019
Scosglen is the home of the druids – a classic and beloved class from the Lord of Destruction expansion for Diablo II that will be making its return in the third game. Heavily inspired by the culture of the Celtic druids, this coastal zone invokes an aesthetic and climate somewhat similar to the oceanic environment that the Celts made their home in.
We know a good amount about Scosglen from lore but haven’t seen it in-game until now. According to legend, a close friend of the Barbarian King Bul-Kathos named Fiacla-Géar traveled to what would become Scosglen and settled there with his followers. There Fiacla-Géar taught his followers the way of life and magical skills that would become the druidic magic we wield in-game. In connection with the nature around them, the druids would grow to shun the use of traditional magic that they label Dubhdroiacht used by most other spellcasters.
In adventuring to the zone, players will fight against the unique creatures of Scosglen. The Drowned will be making an appearance, a bloated family of monsters found near the sea. True to their namesake, these monsters have water-based attacks that reflect the environment they dwell in.
Plaguing the thick forestry around the zone will also be a host of werewolves and other cursed monsters. These opponents will make traveling through the dense trees a treacherous journey as they eye your every move, ambushing you when you pass through their homes.
There will likely be more information about the zone trickled out throughout the teasers of Diablo IV. It’ll be quite some time before we get to travel to the homeland of the Druids, but until then, there should be plenty of hype to keep us busy.
