Diablo IV announced at BlizzCon 2019

Diablo IV is finally official. Blizzard announced the game at the opening ceremonies for BlizzCon 2019 in Anaheim, California, and it marks the first entry in the series since 2012’s Diablo III. The game was revealed with a lengthy cinematic, showing off a new, darker tone that harkens back to earlier games in the series. Here’s how Blizzard describes the basic premise:

Diablo IV takes place many years after the events of Diablo III, after millions have been slaughtered by the actions of the High Heavens and Burning Hells alike. In the vacuum of power, a legendary name resurfaces.

During the event, Blizzard stressed that Diablo IV would go back to the franchise’s “darker roots,” which, among other things, means more blood and gore. The first three announced classes are the barbarian, sorceress, and druid. Here’s a first, short look at the actual gameplay:

And here’s Blizzard on the technology behind the new game:

Diablo IV is being developed using modern technology that pushes the franchise to dark, new depths. This technology is at the heart of everything players will see, hear, and feel — delivering much higher fidelity and a more engrossing experience. It opens up countless possibilities for the Diablo series, from smooth character animations, such as the Druid’s fluid shapeshifting, to the seamless, vast overworld players will travel across in search of the next loot-filled underground dungeon. Ultimately, Diablo IV will ground players in a grittier and deadlier world.

While rumors of a fourth mainline Diablo game have persisted for some time, Blizzard hadn’t officially spoken about the game until today. At last year’s BlizzCon, the company revealed Diablo Immortal, a mobile spinoff that has yet to actually launch one year later. Meanwhile, back in March, the original Diablo was made available digitally for the very first time.

There’s no word yet on a release date for Diablo IV, but it will be coming to the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.