Keenly aware of the need to go big or go home for its annual BlizzCon convention this year, Blizzard certainly didn’t disappoint.
Using the occasion to announce not one, but two sequels for its beloved franchises has resulted in the studio clawing back confidence from fans, many of whom considered themselves lapsed, due to a slew of unpopular decisions made by the developer. Diablo 4‘s announcement, in particular, has helped make amends for last year’s disastrous Diablo Immortal reveal, though the series certainly isn’t out of the woods just yet.
Initial footage showcased on-stage at BlizzCon was said to be in its early stages, and with a release date unlikely to be set in stone for a while yet, anything can happen between now and tomorrow, figuratively speaking. With that said, enthusiasm for a new Diablo is currently at an all-time high and, thanks to gameplay released yesterday (seen above), we’ve been privy to one (of hopefully many) feature intended to debut in the long-awaited sequel.
As for how one is expected to take down these gargantuan threats to Sanctuary, a number of bespoke combat mechanics will be present to lend a helping hand.
As an overworld boss, player count is no longer confined to the usual four. In fact, a total of eight demon hunters are shown working in tandem in an effort to bring down the beast. Rather than mindlessly slash away, however, participants will need to stagger each hellspawn they come across with specific abilities, weakening them in the process. In the case of Ashava, the Pestilent, filling its stagger meter will cause its bladed limbs to fall off, in turn making the encounter considerably easier. Succeed, and a shower of rare loot will be yours for the taking. Neat.
Diablo 4 is currently without a release date, but fans can expect Blizzard to reveal a whole lot more of the action-RPG over the coming months and beyond. Watch this space.