Diablo 4 for Xbox and PC: Gameplay, trailers, release date, and everything you need to know

By three they come.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

At BlizzCon 2019, Blizzard revealed the long-awaited Diablo 4, the latest in the series of top-down, demon-obliterating games. Diablo 4 is a sort of return to form for the series, with art and styles that longtime fans will appreciate. Blizzard also stated that the game is a world of gore, occultism, and horror, where victories are never clean or guaranteed, therefore making it a great addition to the franchise.

So much is still shrouded in mystery but Blizzard Entertainment has shared many details and based on what we know, this could end up being one of thebest Xbox gamesavailable. Here’s everything you need to know about Diablo 4.

What is Diablo 4?

Diablo 4 is an action-RPG and the long-anticipated sequel to Diablo 3, which first released on PC back in 2011 before making its way to consoles a few years later. At BlizzCon 2018, Blizzard confirmed thatmultiple Diablo titles were in development, one of which was clearly Diablo 4. During BlizzCon 2019, Diablo 4 was officially announced. You can check out the Diablo 4reveal trailerfor a cinematic look at the dark world it takes place in.

Diablo 4 Gameplay and features

While Diablo 4 is using a far harsher tone than Diablo 3, the gameplay is still classic top-down action-RPG. There will be friendly towns where you can meet up and trade with other players. There’ll also be PvP zones.

Five classes have been revealed so far: the Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, and Sorceress. Each class has multiple possible looks, depending on armor and other customization options chosen. There could be more classes added later on in DLC, updates, or expansions, but nothing is set in stone right now.

You can take a look at thefirst gameplay trailer on YouTube. Blizzard Entertainment went on to sharemore gameplay footageat the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase in 2022:

Starting in 2020 and continuing through the last couple of years, Blizzard released quarterly updates showcasing the early design decisions, as recently asMarch 2022, where the team has talked about everything from legendary items to skill trees. Here’s a summary of everything else that we know about Diablo 4’s gameplay and features so far.

Get the Windows Central Newsletter

All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.

Diablo 4 takes place in a dark world

Veteran fans of the series will notice that Diablo 4 is taking a much darker tone all around. The art style and mood are grittier, meant to evoke the harshness of the world, like in Diablo II. Bleak tones and Gothic architecture dominate the visuals. The reveal cinematic and the first gameplay trailer further emphasized this harsh, oppressive tone.

Blizzard Entertainment has also released someconcept art for the game. Rod Fergusson, formerly Studio Head of The Coalition, is now the head of the Diablo franchise and will no doubt bring his own touch to Diablo 4. Here’s what we know about the world of the game specifically. (You can click on one of the images above to enlarge it).

Ashava is the first world boss in Diablo. 🔥pic.twitter.com/Mjg9S0nA4MAshava is the first world boss in Diablo. 🔥pic.twitter.com/Mjg9S0nA4M— Diablo (@Diablo)November 2, 2019November 2, 2019

Diablo 4 classes allow major customization

Classes in Diablo 4 have received several significant improvements. Five classes are being talked about right now, asaccording to Blizzard, there will be five classes at launch, though could come at a later date. Here’s what we know about classes in Diablo 4 so far.

Is Diablo 4 coming to Xbox Game Pass?

Right now, we don’t know whether Diablo 4 will be added to Xbox Game Pass at launch. Microsoft has agreed to acquire Activision Blizzard in a deal worth nearly $69 billion. The deal has been agreed upon by Activision Blizzard shareholders as of April 28, 2022, and is currently slated to finalize sometime in Microsoft’s fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.

Once the deal closes, it will add Activision Blizzard toXbox Game Studiosand Bethesda Softworks as first-party Xbox publishers. Since first-party Xbox games come to Xbox Game Pass on day one, it seems possible that Diablo 4 could launch this way, depending on the exact timing of when the game is released.

Diablo 4: Does it support crossplay?

At the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase in 2022, when revealing the Necromancer class, Blizzard Entertainment confirmed that crossplay is in.

Speaking with Windows Centralin February 2021, Blizzard Entertainment indicated at the time that crossplay in Diablo 4 was being looked at, alongside cross-progression. After this time, it appears the developers looked into it and figured out how to get the systems working.

When will Diablo 4 release?

Diablo 4 is currently slated to arrive in the first half of 2023.

Activision Blizzard statedin February 2021 not to expect Diablo 4 during 2021, so it looked like it wouldn’t be released until 2022 at the earliest. From there, Blizzard later confirmed thatDiablo 4 and Overwatch 2 were being delayed furtherand that the former wouldn’t launch in 2022.

When Diablo 4 was announced, Blizzard statedduring a panel at BlizzCon 2019that Diablo 4 wasn’t coming soon. “We are not coming anytime soon, not even Blizzard soon.”

Diablo 2: Resurrected

Diablo 2: Resurrected brings together the original game and its expansion, remastered for modern hardware while providing the same great gameplay experience.

Buy from:Amazon|Xbox

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter@SamuelTolbert.