Diablo 5 will be vastly different from Diablo 4. Set 100 years after the events of Diablo 4, this sequel takes place when Diablo has already wreaked catastrophic devastation upon Sanctuary. The game will undergo fundamental changes to its combat, class, and loot systems.
Today, several Diablo 5 developers took the stage at BlizzCon 2026 to share their vision for the game. However, the development team emphasized that all content is still in production, and the game may change between now and its release window in spring 2029.
Many of the major changes in Diablo 5 appear to be responses to player feedback on Diablo 4—particularly its shortcomings compared to previous titles and competitors like Path of Exile—as well as a darker setting. Blizzard is "doubling down" on this direction, further enhancing the game's dark atmosphere.
The story takes place several years after the Golden Age of Sanctuary, which has just fallen into the hands of the main villain, Diablo. Like Mephisto in Diablo 4, Diablo will be a fully realized character, not just the final boss. Much of the story will revolve around rebuilding the Western Continent and restoring some of the series' most iconic locations, such as Westmarch, from their ravaged state.
Here's what we learned from foreign media outlet PC GamerWhat we learned from this 30-minute presentation:
Diablo 5 will bring back procedurally generated dungeons and open-world areas. The environment will change each time players re-enter these locations.
There will be no towns in the game; instead, a caravan of NPCs will take their place. Players will encounter them progressively throughout the story, and one of the companions will even be a Treasure Goblin.
All side quests will be provided by members of the caravan.
The Demon Hunter and Monk classes will return.
The game will also introduce new classes, including the Plague Knight. This is a heavily armored class capable of spreading disease across the battlefield.
The number of classes available at launch will exceed the total number of launch classes in all previous Diablo games combined.
Equipment will have different tiers, and the gear system will gradually become more complex as players progress.
Belts and set items will return.
Equipment will occupy multiple inventory slots based on its type, similar to Diablo 2.
The development team is experimenting with items that require specific attribute thresholds to equip, which also harkens back to Diablo 2.
Blizzard stated that starting next year, players will regularly hear updates on the development of Diablo 5, reiterating that the game will continue to be adjusted based on player feedback.