With Diablo 4 getting its second major expansion earlier this year, one that overhauled the game in such a way that many players felt that it finally found its footing, Blizzard unexpectedly announced Diablo 5 at BlizzCon 2026, which is on track for a Spring 2026 launch. Although Blizzard has shown no gameplay, it has confirmed that Diablo 5 will differ from Diablo 4 and deliver an experience more in line with Diablo 2.
On that note, Diablo 5 game director Joe Shely took to social media platform X to reiterate this by stating that "any challenge can be overcome with the right build." Using action-RPG stats to make his point, he wrote, "While Diablo V will continue to feature some DEX (moment-to-moment execution) mechanics, on balance the game will be an INT/STR game (planning and investment)."
This is a direct response to Diablo 3 and Diablo 4's shift to a more action- and mechanics-based approach to combat, where timing dodge rolls, evading, and avoiding fast-moving attacks are key to tackling the game's most challenging encounters. It suggests a more measured approach to action, à la Diablo 2, where you still need to move around and react to enemies and bosses, but success is primarily based on gear, skill, and stats.
This isn't to say Diablo 4 isn't also build-based, or that you don't continuously strive to increase your damage output with gear. Still, it does focus on "moment-to-moment execution" in a way that makes the action feel more like Diablo 3 than Diablo 2.
Based on this comment and everything we've read about Diablo 5 so far, it sounds like Diablo 5 will be a departure from Diablo 4 and a return to the measured style and depth of Diablo 2. In addition to leaning back into role-playing in combat, the game is also ditching the open-world, MMO-lite structure of Diablo 4 for instanced zones that dynamically change every time you visit them. It's also expanding itemization to move away from class- and build-specific items and powers toward a more universal system where powerful items can support multiple builds, classes, and playstyles.
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How will Diablo 5's combat differ from Diablo 4's focus on dodging and evading attacks?
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Granted, we're still a long way from release, and in action-RPG development, things can change right up until the last minute. Blizzard has confirmed it will be more open about Diablo 5's development, so we can expect a steady stream of in-depth updates on the game's progress and mechanics starting in 2027.
