Diablo V is officially coming in spring 2029, and Blizzard used BlizzCon 2026 to announce the next installment, as well as several updates, changes, and news about the future of the series. In the next game, Diablo has already conquered Sanctuary, most of humanity is gone or corrupted, and players will explore an ever-changing Westmarch with a traveling caravan replacing the towns and permanent safe zones of previous games. Blizzard also announced an animated Diablo series for Netflix, while Diablo 4 and Diablo Immortal both have major new content on the way.
Blizzard has stated that they revealed the next Diablo so early because they want to gather as much feedback as possible over the years, and the first bits of info will start to become available as soon as next year. The devs considered developing the idea as another Diablo IV expansion, but eventually decided that the setting and gameplay changes warranted a full sequel. The company revealed some of the details of the upcoming game during the dedicated panel.
Diablo has already won when Diablo V begins
Diablo V takes place primarily across Westmarch, now largely consumed by Hell after Diablo’s victory. Most surviving humans have either submitted to him or become cultists, while powerful corrupted humans known as Dread Commanders reshape the regions they control. Humanity is caught between Hell’s brutality and the High Heavens, which met Sanctuary’s destruction with indifference.
Devs added that Diablo himself will be present throughout the story instead of appearing only as its eventual final boss. Players take the role of the Heir of Westmarch, who has an unexplained connection to Diablo and can survive entering his Terror Realm. That connection will also expose the protagonist to Diablo’s influence as the campaign develops.
Diablo V replaces towns with a traveling caravan
Westmarch no longer has functioning towns or the usual safe settlements scattered across the map. Instead, the player’s caravan fills that role, traveling with merchants, craftspeople, companions, and survivors recruited while exploring the continent.
Those companions also replace many of the random quest-giving NPCs found throughout Diablo IV’s open world. Side quests will develop the people traveling with the caravan, including Zarg, a treasure goblin who joins the group and gets an actual character arc.
The open world itself will change between sessions through a system Blizzard calls Terror Forming. Procedural generation now applies to the overworld as well as dungeons, with paths, terrain, landmarks, enemies, and encounters changing when players return to previously explored regions. Diablo and the Dread Commanders will supposedly provide the story explanation for Westmarch constantly shifting and changing.
Demon Hunter, Monk, and Plague Knight are the first Diablo V classes
Three Diablo V classes have been revealed so far: Demon Hunter, Monk, and Plague Knight. Demon Hunter returns with its crossbows and mobility, while Monk once again focuses on close-range martial arts and holy abilities.
Plague Knight is the first new class revealed for the sequel, wearing heavy armor and spreading diseases through enemies before consuming those diseases for power. Blizzard also plans to launch Diablo V with more classes than any previous Diablo game has had in total, although the complete roster and exact number have not yet been announced.
Itemization is also changing, as concept footage showed equipment occupying different amounts of inventory space, while item tiers are intended to progress alongside the character in a manner Blizzard compared with Diablo II. Gear sets and equippable belts are also returning, with stat requirements for equipment still being explored during development.
Diablo and Deckard Cain return to Diablo IV
Blizzard did not forget about the current game as well, as Diablo IV’s Season of Hell’s Legacy begins on Sept. 15 and brings back the lost soul of Deckard Cain to guide players through a story celebrating 30 years of the series. Diablo, Baal, and Mephisto all appear as Prime Evil encounters, with players collecting Splinters of their souls and using part of their power themselves.
The Amazon then joins Diablo IV in the first half of 2027 as a returning fan-favorite class. She comes from Skovos and has four archetypes: Champion, Skirmisher, Ranger, and Commander, with bows and javelins being her main weapons. Blizzard currently has no further Diablo IV expansions planned, with development moving toward seasonal content and Diablo V.
Diablo is getting a Netflix animated series
Blizzard is also working with Netflix on a new animated Diablo series, but the project is still early in development, with no release date or story information revealed yet.
The adaptation will be the first for Diablo in its three decades as a game franchise. Blizzard has not confirmed whether it will adapt any certain characters or events from the games directly or tell a separate story in Sanctuary, leaving the premise and format largely under wraps for now.
Spawn comes to Diablo Immortal on Sept. 29
Last and most definitely the least, Diablo Immortal is crossing over with Spawn on Sept. 29, bringing Todd McFarlane’s antihero into Sanctuary for a limited-time event. Blizzard has teased his chains, hellfire, and necroplasmic powers, with more details coming alongside the game’s next major update.
The future of Diablo looks to be bright, or, well, hellish, and the developers seem to be heavily receptive to all kinds of feedback. Let’s hope Diablo V brings the series back to its glory days.
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