Diablo 5 Is Officially A Massive Shift For The Franchise

Published Sep 12, 2026, 2:22 PM EDT Chris is a Gaming Editor at ScreenRant. He has been a professional writer since 2009, and has written for top TV, comics, movie, and video game outlets like Engadget, Polygon, Destructoid, and more. He brings with him an expertise in every game genre, no matter how niche or mainstream. You may know him as the former Managing/Reviews Editor of Destructoid, where he published hundreds of game reviews across every genre, including MMOs, sports games, and Metroidvanias. Find Chris on Twitter @_SRChris. Diablo has been one of Blizzard's most consistent franchises since 1997. From the first game, Diablo's grimdark universe has drawn fans in, leading directly to Diablo 2, widely regarded as one of the best dungeon crawlers of all time (if not the best). Diablo 3 initially struggled with its Real Money Auction House controversy, but made a name for itself after removing it, followed by many great quality-of-life and content updates. Diablo 4 had a much better launch and has also solidified its legacy in the Diablo series. But now, it's time to get ready for a new chapter, as Diablo 5 has officially been announced at BlizzCon 2026. Diablo 5 Officially Announced At BlizzCon 2026 As Blizzard put it, "Diablo's next era begins." Diablo 5 has been revealed through a short teaser, showing off the return of the Lord of Terror himself, Diablo. Diablo 5 takes place "roughly a century after Diablo 4," and you'll be playing in a world where Sanctuary has fallen, and Diablo has won. For the first time in the series, we're entering the apocalypse after it happened, which could give us the bleakest story yet. Diablo 5 has a "spring 2029" release date, which is a bit far out, but at the very least, we're getting a window here rather than a vague promise that something will be coming in the future. Since it's still far away, we don't have many details yet, but more are coming soon. A Diablo 5 panel is happening later today and will cover early details, as well as where the team isin this early stage of development. We're also set to speak to members of the Diablo team this weekend, and will get as much info as possible. Diablo 4 Still Has Content Coming Not wanting to leave Diablo 4 out of the mix, we also got confirmation on what's coming for the current iteration of the game. Blizzard notes that there's "still plenty to go" for Diablo 4, and in the first half of 2027, there's going to be a class pack. The Amazon has been teased in the last expansion, and that's exactly who we're getting with that 2027 drop. The team is also planning an anniversary celebration, which includes rematches with classic foes from the series. Finally, Diablo 4: The Age of Hatred Collection is coming to Switch 2 on September 15. If you're a Diablo fan, you're eating pretty well right now. There's a Switch 2 port of Diablo 4, updates and content on the way, a brand-new game coming, Diablo Immortal updates, and an anniversary celebration on the horizon. Systems Released January 3, 1997 ESRB M For Mature 17+ // Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence Publisher(s) Blizzard Entertainment, Ubisoft Engine unity Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Franchise Diablo