Diablo IV was originally announced over two and a half years ago to a roaring crowd at Blizzcon 2019. After the messy release of Diablo Immortal, new information about the upcoming return to form is a breath of fresh air for fans of the franchise.
The Diablo franchise is prominently known as one of the best PC RPG franchises of the 90s and early 2000s. When most fans picture the game, they see a mouse and keyboard.
Despite its hardcore PC fanbase, console players have enjoyed the classic dungeon-crawler since 1998.
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Diablo IV coming to consoles
On June 12, Activision Blizzard announced the fifth and final playable class for Diablo IV. This news came alongside the much bigger reveal that the long-awaited sequel will be coming to PC and consoles next year.
The new Diablo will be available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. Current and last-gen consoles will have access to the game, along with the PC.
On top of that, Activision Blizzard announced full cross-play and cross-progression for all game versions. Users on consoles will have no trouble enjoying the game with their PC gaming friends.
Cross-progression allows gamers to move their progress across consoles with a single account. With this in mind, they can sign in to other owners' consoles and keep their progression when they return. The title is clearly making it easy to play on whatever gadget individuals own.
Conversely, the game cannot be played offline. The newest entry in the classic franchise will require a consistent, stable connection. This implies that players across different platforms can join to face the title's challenges.
With cross-play enabled and constant online gameplay required, it'll be a breeze to find new friends to play with. With a huge user base across all platforms, the game could foster an enormous and fantastic community.
PC and console development on Diablo IV
Activision Blizzard has had a rough time over the previous year or two. Citing high employee turnover, Diablo IV is set to release sometime next year. The game will come on the heels of the unfortunate reception of Diablo Immortal, making it an important offering for the franchise.
The series has a long history of releasing console ports after the initial PC release of each entry. The first title took over a year to be ported onto the PlayStation from its original PC release.
Diablo II didn't make its way to consoles until the 2021 remaster, over two decades after the initial release. Diablo III, the most recent entry, took over a year and a half to drop onto PS3 and Xbox 360.
Activision Blizzard has assuaged these fears by simultaneously developing Diablo IV for PC and consoles. The game should be ready and released for all platforms at the same time.
Diablo IV will premiere on every significant platform except for the Switch next year. Fans should be able to return to Hell through whichever platform they prefer.
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