The announced target release window for Diablo 5 is Spring 2029. Chris Wilson, co-creator and lead designer of Path of Exile, considers this timeline quite tight and believes the game may not be ready by then. This is his prediction regarding the development schedule, not an official announcement of a delay.
In a video discussing the announcement of the new title, Wilson mentioned that Diablo IV's "Vessel of Hatred" content was released this April. He speculates that the team may have only shifted their development focus to the sequel after that point; if so, the sequel has been the primary task for about five months. He believes this may also explain why Blizzard primarily showcased concept art, design plans, and a short announcement trailer at BlizzCon, without demonstrating actual gameplay.
Wilson drew comparisons from his experience developing Path of Exile: even with a mature content production pipeline and an engine specifically built for this type of game, Path of Exile still took over eight years to develop. He believes that Diablo 5 will need sufficient content at launch to remain competitive. Blizzard has previously stated that this installment will feature more character classes than any previous Diablo game, including expansions.
In Wilson's view, adding more staff may not necessarily alleviate schedule pressure, as adjusting drop rates, balancing classes, and conducting in-depth playtesting all require time. Therefore, he believes that Diablo 5 might miss its Spring 2029 window, while also noting that delays are not uncommon in game development.
Blizzard President Faries previously expressed a desire to release titles on schedule when discussing the new Diablo and the planned StarCraft title slated for 2030. Currently, the announced release window for Diablo 5 remains Spring 2029.