With the new edition, they are evolving the ARPG concept to accommodate these changes, and no one knows how it will be received – but it is very exciting to watch. The Diablo 4 team has identified the way people interact with games has changed, what keeps people coming back to games has changed, and how companies can monetize games has changed a lot over the last decade. While many games (Last Epoch, Path of Exile, Torchlight) have iterated over the Diablo formula, and Blizzard themselves have kept it similar with Diablo 1 – 3, times have changed. Most of them have the option to group up with friends and play together, but you and your group are not going to encounter other players outside of trading items and chat systems. Evolveįor over 25 years, ARPGs have been primarily a solo game experience. As a publisher, there is always an underlying pressure to release something quickly, but Blizzard focuses on creating the best game possible and takes their time to do so. Take your timeĭiablo 3 was released in May 2012, meaning that Diablo 4 will arrive 11 years later.

In 6 weeks’ time, Diablo 4 will be released, and having followed its journey for many years, I wanted to touch on a few of my learnings. I quickly fell in love with the game, and ARPGs have been a big part of my life ever since. The year was 1997 and on my way home from school, I used to drop by my friend’s house to play Diablo, an action role-playing video game (ARPG) developed by Blizzard Entertainment.

Diablo 4 group play