"Diablo 5," which finally made its appearance at BlizzCon 2026, does not remain a simple extension of its predecessor. Set in Sanctuary 100 years after Mephisto's defeat, it begins a new story in a world that has collapsed once again after a long golden age. With even the balance maintained between the High Heavens and Burning Hells broken, players must once again shoulder the fate of Sanctuary.
Changes to the game's structure were also teased. Safe towns and villagers welcoming players no longer exist; players must gather survivors into a "caravan" and navigate a perilous Sanctuary. In addition, familiar elements from past titles in the series return in new forms, including runes and set items, along with a new class, the "Plague Knight," who wields plague and disease as weapons.
At a joint Korean media interview held at BlizzCon 2026, Diablo 5 Executive Producer Matt Zitterman and Senior Art Director John Mueller attended to explain the background behind these changes. The two developers emphasized their direction of inheriting the legacy of past games in the franchise while crafting a brand-new story with Diablo 5.
Diablo 4 is currently continuing its live service. With Diablo 5 revealed under these circumstances, many players are curious about what will happen to the service of Diablo 4. Will the two games be operated completely separately, or is there a succession relationship leading from Diablo 4 into Diablo 5?
Matt Zitterman: That's a good question. At today's panel, we announced a new season for Diablo 4 and introduced content bringing back elements loved in past Diablo games. The Amazon will also be showcased soon.
However, regarding specific plans for Diablo 4 after that, I'd like to leave that for the Diablo 4 development team to talk about directly. Diablo 5 also has a huge amount left to discuss separately in the future.
At the start of Diablo 5, Diablo is depicted as having already won. With the fall of Sanctuary already determined, what meaning do the actions of Diablo 4 players hold? Are the settings of the two games separated into different regions, or does it ultimately lead to the collapse of all of Sanctuary?
John Mueller: First, what I can say is that Diablo 5 is set in an era 100 years after Mephisto's defeat. And at the time the game begins, there is an additional "Lost 7 Years". The process of finding out what happened during that time and what was lost forms an important part of the storytelling in this title.
What's important is that those 100 years weren't simply an era where bad things happened continuously. At the end of Diablo 4, players actually saved the world, and Sanctuary recovered. As a result, there was a kind of 100-year golden age. That's why the moment you face a collapsed world once again in Diablo 5 will feel all the more dramatic.
Matt Zitterman: At the core of Diablo lies the "Eternal Conflict" between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, and humanity and Sanctuary are always caught in between. When we craft a new story in the Diablo universe, we always start from there.
For better or worse, you could say that's humanity's fate. Sanctuary is always wedged between two immensely powerful forces. What's interesting in Diablo 5 is that this time, the story begins with Diablo having already won. The balance of power is completely shattered right from the start. In such a world, the player becomes the central figure working to reclaim that balance—or steering things in another direction entirely.
This time, the number "5" is attached to the title. As a franchise built over many years across multiple entries, creating a fifth numbered title must carry considerable weight and responsibility.
Matt Zitterman: Whenever you make a new numbered sequel to a franchise as beloved as Diablo, you always feel immense weight. We feel a huge responsibility to the community and players, and above all, we really want to get it right.
From the early stages of Diablo 5's development, we recognized that what we needed wasn't simply an expansion for Diablo 4, but a true sequel. So we spent a lot of time understanding what players want from a Diablo game. Rather than just being a continuation or reinterpretation of previous titles, we wanted to create something that feels like a true Diablo game in its own right.
To achieve that, we looked back at all the existing Diablo titles. After identifying what resonated deeply with players and what they loved in each game, we're trying to bring those elements into Diablo 5 while also paying homage to past entries.
Personally, whether a player's favorite is Diablo 1, 2, 3, or 4, I want them to play Diablo 5 and feel, "This part was made for me." The goal is to create moments that resonate with every Diablo player.
John Mueller: I love those kinds of challenges as well. The moment you announce you're making a sequel to a legendary franchise, the development team is required to be bold, ambitious, and creative. That in itself becomes a challenge for us.
I was also involved in Diablo 4's development from start to finish, and back then, the question we kept asking ourselves was, "What is the best Diablo we can make right now?" We're asking the exact same question for Diablo 5. I love the challenge that question poses to the dev team, and we intend to maintain that mindset this time as well.
Based on what has been revealed, Diablo 5 seems to center on a world already ruined by defeat and the process of rediscovering hope within it. How is this overwhelming sense of defeat and the journey to overcome it specifically expressed in-game?
John Mueller: One of the biggest changes is that safe towns and welcoming villagers no longer exist. Sanctuary's destruction is that absolute. Of course, survivors remain, and each of them has a meaningful, tragic, and memorable story to tell.
One thing we consider extremely important in this game is creating iconic and memorable characters. Just as Lilith was a very striking character in Diablo 4, we want to build memorable figures in Diablo 5 that players can form an emotional connection with.
And what moves through that world alongside the player is the "Caravan". The Caravan is a place where hope resides, and a space that shows there's still value in saving this world. As players progress on their journey, they will meet survivors and bring them into the Caravan, with each character possessing their own deep backstory. Our goal is to craft a story that stays long in players' memories through these characters and moments.
The Caravan appears to be one of the elements that sets Diablo 5 apart most from previous titles. Is it simply a structure where survivors or merchants join as you progress through the story, or is there systemic depth such as developing the Caravan or securing safe outposts?
Matt Zitterman: First, I want to emphasize that every single character who joins the Caravan has a deep, meaningful personal story. If we've done our jobs right, players will hear their stories and become curious, wanting to learn more about them.
So we hope people don't view it simply as a recruitment system. We're aiming for the story of each character who joins the Caravan to feel like a mini-campaign in its own right. They will also play their own roles in the main story.
Furthermore, because Sanctuary itself has become an extremely dangerous world, you can't just move the Caravan wherever you want. Players must go out into the world themselves and establish safe locations for the Caravan to travel to. Only after securing a safe space can you bring the Caravan and your companions there.
Ultimately, the main campaign itself is a story of the player and survivors traversing a dangerous world together, bringing hope to every corner of Sanctuary. The Caravan is not just a companion recruitment mechanic; it's the foundation that supports this game's storytelling.
Our goal is to deliver the best Diablo story we've ever made. During development, someone stuck a Post-it note in my office that read "Best Campaign Ever," and at some point, that became a core benchmark for the dev team. We want to take the campaign and storytelling we created in Diablo 4 to the next level in Diablo 5, and the Caravan and its characters will serve as a key foundation for that.
At this panel, a brand-new class called the "Plague Knight" was revealed for the first time. As a class that didn't exist before, could you elaborate on its lore and what sets it apart compared to other classes?
John Mueller: We love dark-themed classes. True to its name, the Plague Knight is a class that uses disease, plague, and contagion as its weapons. But because they are knights, there's also a noble aspect to their purpose.
They don't simply accept the disease, plague, and darkness present in the world. Instead, they find ways to absorb and channel that power to slay demons. We wanted to show that duality of embracing darkness to punish evil.
Matt Zitterman: We're eager to talk more about the specific mechanics and playstyles of the new class as well. Returning classes will be back, and new classes will offer playstyles different from what we've seen before. However, we're not quite at the stage to detail individual classes and mechanics just yet.
As mentioned during the panel, we want to involve the community in the process of building the game this time. Starting in 2027, we plan to gradually reveal more concrete details and discuss certain elements in significant depth to gather community feedback.
Your answers so far have strongly emphasized the world, story, and campaign. However, many Diablo players repeatedly enjoy seasonal and endgame content long after finishing the campaign. Is Diablo 5 also envisioned with ongoing live service in mind, or are you aiming for a direction closer to a standalone, complete title?
Matt Zitterman: Today, we aren't getting into specific details regarding Diablo 5's live service or post-launch plans. What remains paramount for us, however, is delivering the Diablo game that best fits our players.
We know many players love jumping into Diablo periodically. Some enjoy the various mechanics introduced each season in Diablo 4, while others relish creating a new character and starting fresh from scratch. We want to properly satisfy those needs.
Therefore, whatever decisions we make regarding live service or post-launch content for Diablo 5, our starting point will be the same: providing the best possible experience tailored to the diverse players who enjoy Diablo. While we can't share concrete plans yet, our post-launch direction will be guided by this core principle.
Looking at the revealed game information, there are many elements reminiscent of Diablo 2, such as item sizes, runes, runewords, and set items. Diablo 2's item system had clear flaws alongside its strengths. What led to the decision to return to this direction?
Matt Zitterman: As mentioned earlier, we're examining every Diablo game while creating Diablo 5. We contemplated how to bring in elements from previous titles so that no matter which game a player loves most, they can find something they enjoyed in Diablo 5 as well. It's true that many of the details revealed today take inspiration from Diablo 2.
One key concept here is "Deferred Complexity," which Game Director Joe Shely often talks about. There are players in Diablo who want a deep and complex endgame—people who enjoy hunting down vast amounts of loot, utilizing crafting systems, studying their character and game systems to optimize builds. Diablo 5's systems support that style of play as well.
Conversely, there are players who play to enjoy the story and atmosphere, seeing how the campaign wraps up. They might enjoy watching their character grow stronger without wanting to dig deep into intricate systems.
So rather than overwhelming players with every complex system right from the start, we plan to layer in depth gradually as they progress. Players looking for complex systems should experience a sufficiently deep game when reaching endgame, while those who don't care for that level of complexity can enjoy the game more comfortably throughout the campaign.
We look to Diablo 2 because its depth offers many elements worth drawing from. However, rather than simply reverting to old systems, the important thing is evolving them into new forms suited for Diablo 5.
John Mueller: One more thing I'd like to add is how players discover the world of Diablo 5. While we're evolving technologies used in past Diablo games, this time we're creating a world where not just dungeons, but the overworld itself is procedurally generated. We're keeping the scope and scale shown in Diablo 4 while allowing the world itself to constantly shift.
Internally, we call this concept "Constant Discovery." Every time you move the Caravan to a new location, the fog of war rolls back over it, and players must explore the area firsthand to see what lies there.
This is an element Diablo 4 didn't have, and I see it as pushing tech used across the franchise for years to the next level. Each time you move the Caravan, you explore a new region, resolve local issues, and discover something new. Keeping players constantly wondering what situation they'll face next is a core focus in Diablo 5.
We understand that it's still early in development. Still, an essential aspect of Diablo is fast-paced combat and impactful feedback, often described as tactile satisfaction. What kind of action does Diablo 5 aim for in terms of actual gameplay?
Matt Zitterman: One of Diablo's defining characteristics in our eyes is that it's a fast, intuitive, and responsive action RPG. When you use an ability, you should immediately feel its impact on the world.
That style of gameplay evolved significantly in Diablo 3 and took another step forward in Diablo 4. With Diablo 5, we see an opportunity to innovate and build upon that foundation once again. Our goal is to create an entry with the most intense combat feel of any Diablo to date.
John Mueller: One phrase we frequently use internally is "Spectacle." We want to provide players with incredible scenes and action that are thrilling just to look at.
Of course, we aren't at a stage to detail specifically what that means just yet. But we believe it's an important aspect for longtime Diablo fans. While continuing to evolve the fast combat pace and intense action carried through Diablo 3 and Diablo 4, we also place high value on accessibility so that anyone can pick up the game easily and enjoy that action.
