Diablo IV is here, and based on the game breaking sales records left, right, and center, odds are you're deep in your journey in Sanctuary with an army of skeletons, a fire dispensing staff, or a giant two-handed mace. It's no secret that Diablo is one of my all-time favourite franchises, and even though it has taken a minute to put together my thoughts after many hours, here's our full review.

Long story short, it's great. A snippet.

With all of its layers that include skill trees, Paragon boards, multiple classes, stat-filled weapons, legendary loot, countless Dungeons to conquer, and builds to discover, Diablo IV nails the immediate and sustained gratification and satisfaction that comes with slaying your first four-legged beast, two-legged demon, or pulsating blob that explodes and then fast-moving tiny arachnids crawl out. A feeling that remains even after unlocking your first in-game “Kill 666 of …” achievement.

Diablo IV is massive, and that’s not to say that the size and scope of a release is the be-all-end-all, but it’s a testament to the ambition that sits at the heart of the fourth mainline installment in one of the most popular PC franchises of all time.

The shift to a vast open-world Sanctuary, a shared world, a dark and gothic cinematic story spanning several hours. Combat, exploration, and ‘things to do’ that will keep players engaged and hooked for months - if not years - are impressive because it all feels cohesive and very much like… Diablo.

Our Full Diablo IV Review

Just in case you needed a reminder, Diablo has always been one of the most popular gaming franchises ever. When Diablo III launched in 2012, it became the fastest-selling PC game of all time after selling over 3.5 million copies in 24 hours. It would become the best-selling PC game of 2012 and even the top 30 million copies sold by 2015.

With over a decade since the last mainline release, it’s no wonder that Diablo IV has become one of the most anticipated releases of the year. This time, it was released simultaneously across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, and after four days of Early Access (the full game is available now for all), it has become the all-time fastest-selling Blizzard Entertainment game. Plus, Blizzard’s highest pre-launch sales on both console and PC.

Although Blizzard hasn’t released exact sales figures or player counts, it did note that in four days, players had already played Diablo IV for 93 million hours, or 10,000 years - a fun if not all that quantifiable stat.

“This is a moment years in the making for the Diablo IV team,” said Rod Fergusson, general manager of Diablo. “We’re extremely proud to offer players the richest story ever told in a Diablo game. Players have a range of choices, including personal character customisation, equipping personalised skills for battling horrific demons, or collecting Legendary loot to support your playstyle while discovering new ones. Since the game was first announced in 2019, the support from millions of players around the world drove us toward this release of our dark vision of Sanctuary. Hail Lilith, Blessed Mother.”

“Our vision at Blizzard is to create legendary experiences for all to share, and Diablo IV is an incredible realisation of that vision,” said Mike Ybarra, President of Blizzard Entertainment. “With highly customisable gameplay, gripping storytelling, and plenty of options around how to engage with the world, this masterfully crafted expression of the Diablo universe is an outstanding example of what our talented development teams are capable of. Whether you’re a veteran of the series or diving into Sanctuary for the first time, we welcome players to the global launch of Diablo IV.”

Stay tuned for our full review of the game, which is coming any day now. Spoiler alert, it’s great.

Diablo IV Server Slam Beta kicks off this weekend; it's your final chance to play before launch and earn that sweet Beta Wolf Pack Cosmetic Item and the brand-new Cry of Ashava Mount Trophy that looks awesome. Today comes word that the Server Slam will support NVIDIA's new groundbreaking DLSS 3 rendering tech, and if you're in the market for a new graphics card, now's the time to consider something from the GeForce RTX 40 Series.

Like last month's GeForce RTX 4070 - which we reviewed here. We say that because NVIDIA has partnered with Blizzard for a new Diablo IV GeForce RTX 40 Series Bundle, which means you can Rise Against Evil on PC with a free copy of the game with all pre-order cosmetic item bonuses with any eligible purchase of a GeForce RTX 4090, 4080, 4070 Ti, 4070 desktop or GPU.

In addition to the game, you also get the Light-Bearer Mount and Caparison of Faith Armor (Diablo IV), Inarius Wings and Inarius Murloc Pet (Diablo III), Amalgam Rage Mount (World of Warcraft), and Umber Winged Darkness Cosmetics Set (Diablo Immortal).

As one of the biggest - if not biggest - releases of 2023, this is a pretty great deal, especially when you factor in that the digital price of Diablo IV on Battle.net currently sits at $109.95 AUD.

With the game (and upcoming beta) set to support DLSS 3 Frame Generation and ray-tracing coming in a post-launch update, this is well worth considering if you plan on picking up the game on PC.

As part of a new deep dive into Diablo Iv's customisation and character build tools like skills, items, and Paragon boards (check out the video after the jump), Blizzard has also outlined the PC hardware requirements for Diablo IV at launch. Covering four specs, starting from 1080p/720p at 30 fps all the way up to 4K 60fps with ultra graphics settings.

First though, here's the deep dive into character building, which outlines what to expect once you hit certain level milestones and reach the end-game.



Here are the PC hardware requirements for Diablo IV, and as you can see, for entry-level PC gamers, the specs are modest. Though if you want to max everything out and play in 4K, you'll need something like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or one of the new GeForce RTX 40 Series cards with DLSS 3 - like the recently released GeForce RTX 4070.

Minimum Spec Requirements

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Settings to run Diablo IV at 1080p native resolution/720p render resolution, low graphics settings, and 30fps.

• OS: 64-bit Windows 10 version 1909 or newer
  
• Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8350
  
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
  
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon R9 280
  
• DirectX: Version 12
  
• Storage: SSD with 90 GB available space
  
• Internet: Broadband Connection
  

Medium Spec Requirements

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Settings to run Diablo IV at 1080p resolution, medium graphics settings, and 60fps.

• OS: 64-bit Windows 10 version 1909 or newer
  
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K or AMD Ryzen 1300X
  
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
  
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 470
  
• DirectX: Version 12
  
• Storage: SSD with 90 GB available space
  
• Internet: Broadband Connection
  

High Spec Requirements

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Settings to run Diablo IV at 1080p resolution, high graphics settings, and 60fps.

• OS: 64-bit Windows 10 version 1909 or newer
  
• Processor: Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 2700X
  
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
  
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
  
• DirectX: Version 12
  
• Storage: SSD with 90 GB available space
  
• Internet: Broadband Connection
  

Ultra 4K Spec Requirements

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Settings to run Diablo IV at 4K resolution, ultra graphics settings, and 60fps.

• OS: 64-bit Windows 10 version 1909 or newer
  
• Processor: Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
  
• Memory: 32 GB RAM
  
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080; NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series for fully supported DLSS 3 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
  
• DirectX: Version 12
  
• Storage: SSD with 90 GB available space
  
• Internet: Broadband Connection
  

Blizzard has announced that there's a Diablo IV 'Server Slam' set to take place on the weekend of May 12-14 across PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, and Xbox One. This will be another chance for players to jump into Sanctuary before the game launches in June.

There's also couch co-op for, cross-play and cross-progression so you can jump in on multiple platforms.

Like the recent Early Access and Open Beta weekends, players will be able to play through the Prologue and all the way through Act I while being able to explore the entirety of the Fractured Peaks region. With the same Level 20 cap on progression, this will also be your last chance to earn the special Beta Wolf Pack Cosmetic.

There's also a new cosmetic reward in the form of the Cry of Ashava Mount Trophy earned by defeating World Boss Ashava with a Level 20 character.

Even more impressive is that Blizzard notes that this version of Diablo IV will feature all of the bug fixes and updates to the game - like Dungeon tuning and class balance changes - as recently outlined in a post covering feedback from the recent Open Beta.

Blizzard also conducted a recent Diablo IV Developer Update Livestream detailing the game's endgame, Legendary and Unique items, Nightmare Dungeon system, and even the new Paragon Boards that sound very cool. Check it out below.

It's not often we see a developer make substantial changes to a game based on feedback received during an open beta weekend, and that's partly because most "open beta" weekends arrive just before a game launches and aren't betas at all. That's not the case with Diablo IV, one of the most anticipated releases for 2023.

Even though feedback and general consensus has been extremely positive from fans and newcomers to the whole Diablo-style action game, Blizzard has taken criticisms surrounding the game's dungeons seriously. And with over 120 in the full game, the team is making the following changes ahead of launch.

"One of the most common pieces of feedback we received is that players felt they were doing a lot of backtracking within certain dungeons," Blizzard writes. "We have optimized multiple dungeons across all zones to minimize the need for backtracking."

One of the ways backtracking will be minimised comes from repositioning objectives, so they appear on the main path, while for dungeons that fall into the "Kill All Monsters" category, stragglers will now actively seek out players. Interact timings are also being reduced for things like Depositing Animus and Rescuiing, with rewards and buffs gained on completion.

Also, in those dungeons where you need to pick up a thing and take it to another thing, you'll now get a 25% movement speed which applies to nearby allies. The chance for an Event to spawn inside a Dungeon has also increased from 10% to 60% - which applies to things like cursed chests and The Butcher showing up.

The number of changes coming to Diablo IV based on player feedback from the Open Beta is huge, with things like the UI being improved and classes like the Druid given a buff. Necromancer skeletons and pets will be more brittle in the final game, with Blizzard adding that "launch is just the first step of our Class balance journey, and you can expect further updates that iterate on this pillar of Diablo IV."

Head here for the full update on changes coming.

And I say that from the perspective of being a Diablo super-fan. After seeing the news that there was an "Xbox Series X – Diablo IV Bundle" coming June 6, 2023, for AUD 849, my mind quickly wondered what the console would look like. And if it would be coming with one of those new red Xbox Elite Wireless controllers.

It's the standard black Xbox Series X console and controller with a digital copy of Diablo IV and an image of Lilith on the box. So yeah, underwhelming.


This is disappointing because Diablo IV is one of the biggest releases of 2023, and Blizzard is potentially becoming an Xbox Game Studios' first-party developer in the coming months. So going all about with a custom console and controller would make this as much of a collectible as it would a sought-after console.

I mean, one of these would have been perfect.

That said the digital copy of Diablo IV does feature some bonus items, the Light-Bearer Mount with Caparison of Faith Mount Armor.

The Xbox Series X – Diablo IV Bundle is available to pre-order via the Microsoft Store, EBGames, and JB Hi-Fi.

The recent Diablo IV beta was the largest in franchise history, with Blizzard revealing some of the tasty stats from two weekends of access to Sanctuary. The result was close to 62 million hours played and 3 billion monsters slayed. However, the Butcher did his best to even the score by butchering 1.7 million players.

Here's a look at some of the figures, which also confirm that the Sorcerer and Necromancer were the most played classes. Something that should carry over to the full release on June 6, 2023.

With 62M hours played, thank you for making #DiabloIV the largest Beta in Diablo franchise history.

This is just the beginning. Hell welcomes all on 6.6.23.

Pre-purchase and get up to 4 days Early Access: https://t.co/73mjYSfJBO pic.twitter.com/woW7cRR7xs

— Diablo (@Diablo) March 30, 2023

And speaking of carrying over, with 2.6 million Beta Wolf Packs earned (an adorable in-game wolf pet) that means that amount of players hit Level 20. This is an important stat because it speaks to just how great Diablo IV is even when limited to Act I and the first 25 levels of character progression. It reinforces the game and franchise as one of the most immediately engaging action RPG experiences you can have.

Above all though, these figures pave the way for Diablo IV potentially break a number of sales records when the game is fully out.

As part of NVIDIA's GDC announcements, we've got word that Diablo IV is going to launch with DLSS 3 support - namely the impressive AI-powered Frame Generation tech seen in the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series. With the Diablo IV Early Access Beta kicking off this weekend, and the Public Open Beta next weekend, this is great news for PC gamers.

It also means DLSS 2 will be there on day one, and if you're rocking a GeForce RTX 30 Series card or one of the brand-new GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs you can expect impressive performance when firing up Diablo IV.



“Supporting smooth gameplay in Diablo IV is a priority for Blizzard,” said Michael Bukowski, Diablo IV technical director at Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re excited by the high frame rate of Diablo IV running on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series hardware and DLSS 3.”

Diablo IV is out June 6, 2023 fo PC and consoles, with Blizzard noting in the past that it's planning on adding ray-tracing support into the game at some point. With the addition of DLSS and DLSS 3's Frame Generation, this is great news for RT performance when that arrives.

The DLSS 3 action doesn't stop there as NVIDIA has announced that DLSS 3 support is coming to Redfall for its May 2, 2023 launch and is set to be added to the awesome Forza Horizon 5 sometime soon too.

Here's a look at DLSS 3 in the visually stunning Forza, where it's hitting close to 200 frames-per-second with ray-tracing and DLSS. Wow.

Blizzard held a Diablo IV live stream the other day where they showcased gameplay and went into some more detail about what to expect for the upcoming Open Beta. The good news is that couch co-op is coming! And it'll be available on all consoles during the Early Access and Open Beta weekends.

Early Access to the Open Beta will be available for those that have pre-purchased the game on the weekend of March 17-19, with the free-for-all Open Beta running over the weekend of March 24–26. The Open Beta will be available on Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.

Blizzard has updated the official Diablo 4 Open Beta Guide to confirm that couch co-op for two players will be in the game, and that's awesome. Online will expand this to a four-player co-op, and players will get a 10% experience boost when slaying demons next to their party. Solo adventurers aren't left out either, as doing the same next to any player (let's say in a World Event or when taking down a World Boss) will net you a 5% experience boost.



We also got confirmation on the classes. Barbarian, Rogue, and the Sorceress will be available to play during the Early Access weekend with the Open Beta weekend adding the Druid and Necromancer. So yeah, all classes will be there.

Blizzard has outlined special unlocks for jumping into the Open Beta.

Initial Casualty Title: earned by reaching Kyovashad with one character.

Early Voyager Title: earned by reaching Level 20 on one character.

Beta Wolf Pack Cosmetic Item: earned by reaching Level 20 on one character.

Titles in Diablo IV appear under your character's name.

Finally we've for the official PC hardware requirements for Diablo IV! And it looks like you won't need a beast to run the game, with an ancient ten-year old GeForce GTX 660 able to run the game on minimum spec settings. Awesome optimisation work from Blizzard.

Minimum Requirements for PC (720p 30fps)

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Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8100
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon R9 280
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: SSD with 45 GB available space
Internet: Broadband Connection

Recommended Specifications for PC (1080p 30fps)

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Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K or AMD R3-1300X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 470
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: SSD with 45 GB available space
Internet: Broadband Connection

And with such modest specs, we're hopeful that a Nintendo Switch version of Diablo IV will be announced sometime in the future.

It's not every day the gaming world crosses paths with the fashion world, where walking through a vibrant open world makes some room for walking up and down a runway. That's exactly what happened at Milan Fashion Week, where Blizzard collaborated with iconic Danish fashion house Han Kjøbenhavn to create some really, really, ridiculously, good-looking outfits inspired by the world of Diablo IV.

And that's ridiculous in the sense that there's no reality where you'd see someone walking down the street in one of these supposedly "ready to wear" outfits. This is a shame because the “Chthonic Penumbra” collection is eye-opening, to say the least. I'd love to see these outfits out and about. "An artistic vision born from the dark corners of a genre-defining game," the collection was also accompanied by statues and "dystopian-themed audio."

“Working with Blizzard Entertainment is one of the most natural collaborations that I have ever done," Founder and Artistic Director for Han Kjøbenhavn, Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen said. "We share visions, aesthetics, and creative views, which has made it such a joy to work on this. The visual expression in the game and how I work have a lot of similarities and that has given me the opportunity to really combine the two worlds and the emotions attached."

“To work with a fashion brand as iconic as Han Kjøbenhavn is a hugely exciting move for Blizzard Entertainment and we can’t wait to showcase even more creativity and collaboration from our minds in the future," Diablo IV Art Director John Mueller adds. "Diablo IV is a game we can’t wait to launch and to be able to connect with the fashion world in such an authentic and original way has been a joy to be a part of."

Diablo IV is out June 6 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox with an Open Beta scheduled for late March.

The Diablo IV Open Beta is scheduled for March - check out the full details on that here - and with that announcement Blizzard has revealed the full in-game cinematic that serves as the game's opener. Featuring the character you create, and their voice, it's a very cool and moody introduction to the dark and gothic world of Diablo IV.



The final zoom-out in the video above is where the game begins and you take control of your character. As per our recent hands-on with the game, "On the visual front, it comes as no surprise that Diablo IV is a return to the dark and gothic roots of the franchise, and it’s kind of surprising how the game throws you into the deep end when it comes to bleak, overbearing dread. You begin in a snowstorm with low visibility and bear witness to horror in a darkly beautiful mix of blizzards and orange fire. The latter isn’t all that inviting, even in cozy fireplace form, with the first dungeon and village setting the tone for danger lurking behind every door and dusty bookshelf."

Diablo IV is on track for a June 6, 2023 release across PC and consoles.

Blizzard has finally announced its Open Beta plans for the highly anticipated Diablo IV, with two beta periods planned. First, Early Access to the Open Beta will be available for those that have pre-purchased the game on the weekend of March 17-19, with the free-for-all Open Beta running over the weekend of March 24–26.

Best of all the Open Beta will be available on Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.

In terms of content, as per our recent hands-on with a preview build, players will have access to the entirety of Act I, including the cinematic prologue. Similar to how Diablo 3's Beta was an Act I affair, the difference here is that in Diablo IV, the Act I zone of Fractured Peaks is massive, open, and chock full of side quests and optional dungeons to discover.

Character level will be capped at Level 25, though players will be able to continue to play until the Open Beta period ends. Interestingly, the Diablo IV team has noted that it plans to make changes to the game based on the feedback it received.

"Make your mark on Sanctuary by clearing hellish hordes from dungeons, completing intriguing quests provided by the locals, and amassing powerful loot from fallen foes," writes Blizzard. "Simply put, this is your opportunity to combat the might of the Burning Hells prior to our June 6 release. With that said, the experience is not finalized and you may encounter performance issues, outages, and come across things that simply don’t work. After the Open Beta concludes, we’ll evaluate all feedback we’ve received and will make changes as needed. We look forward to you experiencing this small taste of what Diablo IV has to offer."

If you've pre-purcahesed the game digitally "Early Access to the Open Beta will be automatically available on the platform you pre-purchased for." For everyone that got a code, here's how to get Early Access.

Go to diablo.com/beta and log in or create your Battle.net account.

Enter your code and select your gaming platform and region (if applicable) from the drop-down menu.

Be sure to check your selections before clicking the Redeem button.

A success page will confirm that your code was valid and claimed to the account.

For PC players, your account will be flagged for access right away.

For console players, a platform-specific code to download the Beta will be emailed to the address associated with your Battle.net account closer to the start of Early Access.

Ahead of the Beta, Blizzard is set to debut a new Diablo IV live stream on February 28, lead world designer Art Peshkov, lead systems designer Meng Song, and game director Joe Shely on hand. This will stream via Twitch and YouTube.

The long-awaited Diablo IV from Blizzard is on track for a June release this year, and you can check out our recent hands-on preview here. Speaking to the team at Blizzard about all things Diablo IV, we got confirmation that the team is planning some pretty epic stuff for its post-launch Seasons.

“The game is set up to be very modular, so we have a lot of control over a variety of aspects of the game,” Joseph Piepiora, Associate Game Director on Diablo IV, explains. “The intention with Seasons is to create really exciting reasons for you to want to come back to Sanctuary and have a different experience each time. Every Season we're promising you new opportunities, new adventures, new content, and new features to engage with.”

It certainly sounds very cool, but in speaking with Blizzard, we couldn’t help but wonder exactly what this meant. And so we asked about the impact on Sanctuary, citing dramatic scenarios where entire regions might be destroyed, new structures being built, or dungeons re-designed and overhauled to accommodate new threats. The sort of stuff that will lead to new stories, lore, and dynamic ways to keep an already massive open world looking and feeling fresh.

Check Out the Full Response on Diablo 4’s Seasons Here

Diablo IV is on track for a June 6, 2023 release across PC and consoles, with Blizzard making the announcement during The Game Awards alongside showcasing a stunning cinematic trailer. In it, we get to see fallen Angel Inarius take on the game's villain Lillith in Hell, and if you're a fan of what the cinematic team at Blizzard cooks up - this is a must watch.

Diablo IV, the highly anticipated next instalment in the genre-defining series from Blizzard Entertainment is launching 6 June 2023, with pre-purchase available now.

Explore 140+ Dungeons and Side Quests throughout the campaign and beyond, earning rewards and deepening the story experience.

Defeat World Bosses by teaming up with other players to reap bonus treasures
Local Events that will pop up throughout Sanctuary’s lands and yield quick rewards.

Liberate Strongholds that, once cleansed of corrupted demons and hostile beasts, become friendly outposts to forever alter the layout of the world.

Character Development complete with class selection, a variety of skills to harness multiple powers, and a wide array of cosmetics.

Recently we had the change to go hands-on with a preview build, and walked away impressed. Reluctantly too, Diablo IV is shaping up to be something truly special.

One of the reasons real-time combat in the original Diablo worked so well was the simple satisfaction you got from feeling the impact of each hit, spell, or thwack of a large blunt instrument. Diablo IV’s impressive art direction, animation, and world detail take this to a whole new level. Each character now has a dash move, and movement is agile and responsive in a way that puts controller input on par with the traditional keyboard and mouse setup. It’s akin to Diablo III, but with way more diversity.

Best of all skills and abilities don’t feel like the culmination of attack speed, damage over time, and other stats with a fancy elemental overlay. Even though they are exactly that. Blizzard has done a commendable job making each skill and ability feel distinct from a visual, animation, and damage-dealing standpoint.

To reiterate, Diablo IV is on track for a June 6, 2023 release across PC and console. Mark those calendars, digital and physical. 6.6.23. Buy one if you have to - 'tis the season.

Diablo IV is available for digital pre-purchase as a Standard edition ($109.95 AUD), Deluxe edition ($139.95 AUD), and Ultimate edition ($154.95 AUD).

Standard Edition: Includes Open Beta Early Access, the Light Bearer Mount in Diablo IV, the Inarius Wings and Inarius Murloc Pet in Diablo III, the Amalgam of Rage Mount in World of Warcraft, and the Umber Winged Darkness Cosmetics Set in Diablo Immortal.

Deluxe Edition: Includes everything in the Standard edition, plus up to 4 days Early Access to Diablo IV's Launch, and Seasonal Battle Pass Unlock in Diablo IV, the Temptation Mount in Diablo IV, and the Hellborn Carapace Mount Armor in Diablo IV.

Ultimate Edition: Includes everything in the Deluxe edition, plus an Accelerated Seasonal Battle Pass Unlock in Diablo IV (a Premium Seasonal Battle Pass Unlock plus 20 Tier Skips and a cosmetic), and the Wings of the Creator Emote in Diablo IV.

Recently we had the chance to play through the first Act of Diablo IV's sprawling cinematic but not entirely linear campaign. Although we were limited to a single biome/zone and got nowhere near the endgame, Diablo fans will be pleased to know that you can immediately jump into the action RPG with the difficulty cranked up.

And yeah, there's a Hardcore option (which was greyed out in the preview build) that offers that one-life and that's it mode for players that want every second in the new open world Sanctuary to be tense and full of danger. Hardcore mode and creating a Hardcore character is a staple of classic Diablo so it's great to see it return in Diablo IV.

Related: Diablo 4 Hands-On Preview - Stay Awhile and Listen

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Diablo IV's difficulty modes are called World Tiers, which you can think of as Diablo III Torment levels or the additional difficulty levels of Diablo II.

Increasing the World Tier offers more challenges, tougher monsters, more experience, and better loot. Jumping into the game for the first time you have the option of playing in World Tier 1 or World Tier 2 - the latter offering challenging combat and tense boss battles. Taking on the open-world Strongholds to create new little safe zones with camps, in particular, feels a lot more difficult in World Tier 2 versus the default difficulty.

Naturally additional Tiers can be unlocked when you get further into the game, with Blizzard noting previously that there will be specific tasks or specialised dungeons to complete to prove you're ready to tackle the next World Tier. Some of the rarest loot in the game will be limited to higher World Tiers too.

We sit down with Blizzard to chat about the deep levels of customisation in Diablo IV and learn that creating an overpowered build is something the team wants all players to experience. Newcomers and veterans alike.

A snippet.

“For people who've been playing Diablo for a while, there's an expectation in terms of the amount of depth associated with the systems that you're able to engage with,” Joseph says. Even though it's set in a dark and gothic world and large demonic bosses can stretch a player’s character to their limit, there’s also a power fantasy sitting at the heart of Diablo. Of a demon slayer with god-like powers emerging over time. As deep and complex as Diablo IV is in terms of its various systems and progression, the engaging action combat experience and accessibility are always front and centre.

“We recognised that we needed to make sure that we were creating a set of systems that were going to be easy enough for new players to come and engage with and not get overwhelmed by the amount of upfront depth.”

Our Full Diablo 4 Interview

Pull up a chair and take a sip from a fresh health potion because we played through the opening hours of Blizzard’s Diablo IV as a Rogue, Barbarian, and Sorceress...

A snippet from our massive preview.

Getting the chance to go hands-on with a pre-release build of Diablo IV, a game that’s on track for a 2023 release, we got to see a near-final version of Sanctuary and play through the first 25 levels and Act I of the story as either a Barbarian, Sorceress, or Rogue. Or, as it would turn out for me - all three, on repeat. Limited to the first biome, the snowy Franctured Peaks, Diablo IV’s open world feels unlike any other. Structurally more Diablo II meets Diablo III than the vast plains of Hyrule or Skyrim, but you can pick and choose which pathways to follow and where to go. And outside of jumping into dungeons, there are no load screens.

On the visual front, it comes as no surprise that Diablo IV is a return to the dark and gothic roots of the franchise, and it’s kind of surprising how the game throws you into the deep end when it comes to bleak, overbearing dread. You begin in a snowstorm with low visibility and bear witness to horror in a darkly beautiful mix of blizzards and orange fire. The latter isn’t all that inviting, even in cozy fireplace form, with the first dungeon and village setting the tone for danger lurking behind every door and dusty bookshelf.

Our Full Diablo 4 Hands-On Preview

With a Closed Beta underway, testing the end-game features of Diablo 4, and a planned "first-half of 2023" release window currently - it's safe to assume that Blizzard's highly anticipated action-RPG sequel is in the final stages of development. Of course, it's strange for a game of this size to get delayed during the polish stage but new reports are pointing to a planned April 2023 release.

With a big reveal coming at the upcoming The Game Awards 2022 - where it's being reported by both the XboxEra Podcast and Windows Central (citing inside sources) that the launch date will be announced during the show. And that the big date is in April 2023.

Related: Diablo 4 Seasons, Monetisation, and In-Game Store Detailed

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It's expected that pre-orders will open for digital and physical collector's editions in December, alongside confirmation that an Open Beta will begin in February. As Diablo 4 has been confirmed as a 2023 release, an April launch makes a lot of sense following an Open Beta and lots of marketing. As per the reports Blizzard is set to go all in marketing-wise on Diablo 4.

Related: Diablo 4 End Game Details

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Again, this makes sense when you factor in that Diablo 3's PC launch (outside of server issues) is still one the biggest of all time. And Diablo 4 marks the first day-one multi-platform release for a new entry in the long-running series.

“You will not be able to pay for power in Diablo IV”, writes game director Joe Shely in the latest Diablo IV Quarterly Update. The update covers what players can expect in terms of post-game content and support, which takes the Seasons of Diablo 3 as a framework and builds on it. The detailed update confirms that all items in the store available for purchase will be cosmetic, alongside a currency that can also be used for cosmetics.

Head Here to Read Our Full Breakdown