It seems like 2023 has been an exciting year for the video game industry thus far and it feels like things are going to get better very soon with upcoming releases of various titles. We have games like Final Fantasy XVI, Street Fighter 6, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and others to look forward to along with Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo IV. Everyone knows that Diablo IV is game that people have waited on nearly for a decade after years of being in developmental hell. Between the job cuts that started around 2019 to the controversial lawsuit that Blizzard Entertainment has faced within the past year it seemed Diablo IV was never going to happen. Also, its a well known fact that the original director for Diablo IV Luis Barriga along with one of the designers Jesse McCree had announced their departure from the developmental process of the game back in 2021. Since the departure of the original director for Diablo IV Blizzard Entertainment had named a new creative director Sebastian Stephen. Since becoming apart of the development of Diablo IV one of his main goals was to create a more “grounded” storyline than its predecessor Diablo III from 2012. Despite, Diablo III not being quite as popular as the critically acclaimed Diablo II title from 2000 it was still very popular as a RPG on Microsoft Windows.
It was reported back in Spring 2022 that Diablo III had at least 65 million players since its inception about a decade ago which is a pretty impressive feat. While the Diablo series may not be quite as popular as it once was the name itself is one that turns heads within the gaming world. Also, the story for Diablo IV looks very interesting so far with Lilith being revealed as the main antagonist of game. Based on what we know Diablo IV will have features such as open-world gameplay along with PvP interactions within the game. Players will also have five different classes to choose from as the setting of the game takes place 30 years following the events of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. While there is a ton of excitement regarding the upcoming release of Diablo IV; it should be noted that the game will include micro-transactions and cannot be played offline which are among two of the biggest downsides about this RPG. If Diablo IV becomes a massive commercial success it could possible makeup for the $35 million Blizzard Entertainment lost in relation to their recent court case regarding workplace misconduct claims involving the mistreatment of women within the past few years. Diablo IV is game that has a lot riding on it because its overall success could put Blizzard Entertainment in a more positive spotlight in comparison to 2022.
Gaming Hearts Collection 