Rumor: Diablo 4 May Launch Sooner Than we Think
Diablo 4 from Blizzard Entertainment may have its release next year. Or at least that's what Reddit user poundcake_64 believes. He claims that work on the game is much more advanced than we think.
IN A NUTSHELL
- Reddit user poundcake_64 claims to be working in the IT industry and monitoring data sent by Blizzard Entertainment. Although he doesn't have access to the contents of the files, their names alone can tell him a lot.
- It follows that the game is at an advanced stage of development.
- Currently, the title is said to take up 30GB, and Blizzard Entertainment's technology partners are already testing the playable version.
Poundcake_64 is the nickname of a user who claims to have eaten his teeth in the IT industry, working in it for the last 20 years. Apparently, he has worked with game developers more than once and knows a typical development cycle like the back of his hand. In his message, he says that Diablo 4 may be mostly finished, and we should expect something big in connection with this title next year - if not a launch, then a closed beta at least. He points out, however, that this information does not come from an insider source in the company, but is his conclusion based on data sent by Blizzard.
And where does poundcake_64 get this data from? Blizzard, like many other companies, uses the CDN (Content Delivery Network) technology. This means that the data is located in many nodes in different parts of the world, allowing for faster, virtually instantaneous downloads from anywhere on Earth. Reddit user claims that by observing the information transmitted through this technology he is able to figure out a lot.
First of all, the source claims that the game's build is already in a very advanced stage, and the numbers prove it. Prior to the release, Diablo 3 was marked as version 0.0.1.9558, which - when the game was considered ready - was turned into 1.0.1.9558. Particular attention should be paid here to the last digits - 9558. The author emphasizes that in Blizzard the numbering usually ranges from 1-70000 before the build is assigned a value consistent with the main update. The current build of Diablo 4 is numbered 0.0.1.23041. Until now, it had much more versions than its predecessor, when it entered the key phase of development.
However, there are more indications that Diablo 4 is in an advanced stage of production. Blizzard Entertainment has already started working closely with third party companies. Developers are currently testing the color palette and LED lighting together with Corsair. In addition, work is underway on the implementation of the chat, and Vivox - industry veterans responsible for the communication model in Overwatch - is involved. As poundcake_64 emphasizes, such works are rather not taking place unless the game is close to the final version.
Diablo 4 is reportedly already on battle.net. Of course, a simple attempt to connect to the game client via the Internet is impossible, but the leak author informs that it is used on a regular basis, most likely by Blizzard's affiliates, who need the product for testing. The source gives even more details. This version of the game does not allow multi-boxing (playing multiple characters at the same time), it is only available for the UK and the USA, there is no possibility to play offline and requires 30GB of disk space and Windows 7 or later. Although this is not explicitly stated, the user also expects the title to require a minimum of 4GB of RAM and preferably 8GB.
In addition, the source notes that Rod Fergusson, co-founder of the Gears of War series, has announced his transfer to Blizzard. The developer is known in the industry for his ability to fix and finish games.
Looking at the above arguments and adding to this both financial and image missteps related to Blizzard Entertainment activities, the company is certainly being put under pressure by investors to make their next game come out quickly and bring a big profit. Which may additionally suggest Diablo 4's release next year.
Of course, all of the above is nothing but a rumor. Whether it will be confirmed, we will probably find out soon enough.
