Diablo 4 - Ton of Information and Two Hours of Demo Gameplay

This year's edition of BlizzCon is slowly coming to an end. The event will be remembered for the announcement of the fourth installment of Diablo, which has been eagerly awaited by fans for years. On Friday we received the first story trailer of the game, as well as a portion of basic information about the title, together with a short gameplay presentation. On Saturday and Sunday our knowledge about the game has increased exponentially. In part thanks to the two-hour demo of its early version, the recordings of which were released online by BlizzCon participants, as well as thanks to interviews and panels with devs from Blizzard. The curiosities and most important facts provided by the developers have been gathered in the form of a long list presented below.

Diablo IV has a new visual style, bringing to mind the first and second installments of the series.

Diablo IV - general information

1. Diablo IV is designed for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with a possible option for ports on next-gen platforms. Support for mouse and keyboard is only available on PC.
2. The exact or approximate release date is not yet known. The creators claim that there is still a lot of work to be done.
3. The business model of the title will be based on traditional premium model with expansions / add-ons. The devs also mention cosmetic microtransactions (e.g. character, weapon, or mount skins) and possibly slots for new characters (their number is supposed to be sufficient for the average player).
4. Diablo IV will offer a total of five character classes. The goal of the developers is to make them fundamentally different from each other. New classes will be introduced gradually with new extensions. For now we know that we will play in the base as a Sorceress, Druid or Barbarian.
5. The game has a single open world with five unique zones. We share it together with other participants of the game, like in MMO games. This does not mean, however, that we will constantly encounter other players, standing in front of the entrance to some underground or in line for a boss fight. Meetings with random people will be largely limited to designated places or events.
6. The creators do not envisage the possibility of offline experience. We can complete the story campaign completely alone, depending on our needs, inviting our friends to play at any time.
7. The shape of the game's difficulty system has not yet been determined. As in the previous installments of the series, however, we will certainly be able create a hardcore character, which will be erased after the first death.
8. Our party will consist of up to four people. Many activities and events in the open world require the participation of many players. Blizzard wants to introduce a clan system, with shared equipment, resources and a list of the best groups in the game.
9. The three seasons known from the third installment will also return in Diablo IV; they will appear between the expansions. New challenges, items and events will be waiting for the players.
10. Trading in Diablo IV won't take the form of a hated auction house. In some cases, however, it will be severely restricted. The best and rarest items in the game can be sold only once and then it will be permanently assigned to a specific player. Some rare pieces of equipment will be completely non-tradeable. Moving items between our own characters will take place without any obstacles. Interestingly, we will also use the gold gained in the game, apart from shopping, in gambling games, in which we have a chance to win the legendary weapon and armor.
11. Developers emphasize that they are not afraid to draw inspiration from solutions introduced by competitors. The devs are now to keep a close eye on games such as Last Epoch, Lost Ark and Path of Exile.

The basic version of the game has a total of five character classes.

Diablo IV - gameplay, items, skills and characters

1. The maximum character level in the base game is likely to stop at around 40. This limit will be increased with each expansion. Compared to Diablo III, characters will level up and gain experience more slowly. The creators do not yet plan paragon levels, but they can be replaced by a completely different reward system for veterans.
2. The character progression is not linear and depending on the selected character it will have from two to several different paths. Class skills are unlocked permanently (we will change them only by using rare scrolls). Passive talents of the characters will be changed as desired to match their current equipment or style of play. At level up we get one skill point, which can be used to develop or unlock new abilities/attacks.
3. After the death of a character we will be returned to the nearest checkpoint, after which we traditionally have to reach our body to recover the gold we dropped.
4. Runes return to the game in a completely new form. They will be available in two types - condition runes and effect runes. The first one describes the specific action we need to take, the second one is responsible for the effect we will get. By combining both types of runes we can create a unique bonus/modifier that influences the game.
5. Items are divided into five categories of rarity - common, magical, rare, legendary and mythical. Various sets of equipment will also return to the game, the completion of which will provide us with additional bonuses.
6. The so-called endgame will largely focus on the acquisition of legendary items. They offer powerful bonuses to specific class skills, representing a key step in the development of the strength and potential of our hero.
7. The player character will be able to carry or use only one mythical item, but each of them will have as many as four legendary bonuses/abilities.
8. The creators want to expand the crafting system. Components necessary to modify weapons and armour will be found on defeated creatures or in specific places in the world. Players will use the horadric cube once again.
9. Developers are also working on an item endurance system. With the slow wearing down of items, the effectiveness of our equipment will decrease.
10. The gameplay will also be affected by changing weather conditions. The devs are currently considering what shape it will take.
11. After reaching the maximum level we will receive magic keys. Each one of them will be connected with one of the hundreds of completed dungeons. Using the key, we will transform the location, increasing the strength of the creatures that inhabit it. Keys will also have specific combat modifiers, for example, to increase the damage we take.
12. Blizzard is also planning a PvP mode. However, due to the open-world nature of the game, they are likely to be limited to specific locations, such as arenas that can be accessed through optional quests. Prizes for winners in PvP battles remain undefined for the time being.
13. The creators do not envisage the possibility of introducing classic raids, known from MMORPGs. They do not want to restrict access to the most powerful objects for those who prefer to play alone.

Below you will also find the aforementioned Diablo IV demo gameplays. It is worth noting that this is still an early and not very stable version of the game, which still lacks a lot of animations, sound effects and mechanics. The players present all the available abilities and talents of the characters, as well as other important elements of the game.

1. Blizzard Entertainment - official website
2. Diablo 4 - official website