Blizzard President Mike Ybarra claims that the wait for Diablo 5 won't be as long as previous installments, signaling a potential change in the development cycle.Diablo 4's success and the continued interest in the series might be driving Blizzard to accelerate the development of future Diablo games. The potential sale of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft could also impact the development cycles, as Blizzard may need to support Microsoft's long-term ambitions.
Blizzard President Mike Ybarra recently took online to claim that the wait for Diablo 5 won't be as long as that for Diablo 4 or the third mainline installment in the franchise. The executive also teased the company's plans for expanding its latest action RPG, dovetailing with Blizzard's previously made promise to offer years of post-launch support for Diablo 4.
The Irvine, California-based developer followed up on its 1997 hit Diablo with Diablo 2 in 2000. Both titles received one major expansion pack each shortly after releasing, but even though the third entry already started development in 2001, the fandom ended up waiting 11 years for Diablo 3 to finally hit the market. Blizzard also took its time with the latest mainline installment, as Diablo 4 only released to largely glowing reviews on June 5, 2023.
Diablo 5 might finally be ready to break this pattern of decade-plus development cycles, with Blizzard President Mike Ybarra saying as much in a recent tweet. Responding to some high praise for Diablo 4, the executive claimed that fans will no longer "have to wait so long between titles" moving forward. Ybarra also said that the developer has much more in store for Diablo 4 "and beyond."
While the industry veteran did not elaborate on the matter, Blizzard's apparent decision to shorten the development cycles of future Diablo titles could have something to do with the fact that its latest game confirmed that the interest in the series remains at an all-time high. This already became evident back in June, when Diablo 4 smashed Blizzard's launch record within hours of its full-fledged release.
Another factor that could potentially accelerate the development of future Diablo games is the fact that Activision Blizzard is currently on the verge of a massive sale to Microsoft. The $68.7 billion deal is primarily content-driven, as the tech giant is eager to expand Xbox Game Pass with the likes of Diablo 4 and the Call of Duty franchise. It's hence possible that Blizzard is already looking to shift its development efforts into a higher gear in preparation to support its would-be parent's ambitions in the long term.
Nevertheless, Microsoft historically employed a fairly hands-off approach to studio management, so it's also plausible that the acquisition wouldn't have an immediate impact on Blizzard's product roadmaps should it go through. Whatever the case ends up being, Ybarra's latest comments seem to imply that the developer is already very much thinking about Diablo 5.
Patch 1.1.1 in Diablo 4 has made significant improvements to address player complaints, including increased mob density and improved treasure goblin drops. Nightmare Dungeon farming has been greatly impacted by the update, with experience gains effectively tripled across all instances. Hoarfrost Demise and Uldur's Cave are the top choices for players looking to level up their Diablo 4 character, while Heretic's Asylum and Bastion of Faith should be avoided due to low experience gains.
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