Diablo’s next mainline installment is still slated to launch in 2023. We don’t have a specific release date to attach to this game just yet, but we know that the developers over at Blizzard Entertainment intend to launch it within the upcoming year. That also provides plenty of time to highlight more information about what exactly we can expect within the game. In a recent video highlight from IGN, the developers working on Diablo IV offered some more insight into the actual open-world map component.
Game director Joe Shely and general manager Rod Fergusson spoke with IGN on their open-world map aspect for Diablo IV. There weren’t too many details about the actual specifics of what the world contains, but the developers did note a few interesting components to the map and gameplay. For instance, there is a branching system for the narrative. Rather than dropping a player into a game where the idea is to figure out where to go, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the development team wanted to tell a more guided story.
So we can expect a beginning chapter and a finite ending to the narrative. However, when you progress, there are different acts or pathways you can tackle. It’s noted that some acts might be more challenging to start with, but the branches will allow players to choose where to go before coming back and progressing toward another campaign chapter. It’s noted that while you can freely explore and tackle on some side quests, there is always a clear indication of where you can jump right back into the narrative campaign.
There’s also an emphasis on keeping things lively within the map rather than having players travel from destination to destination in search of something worth spending time exploring or battling. Meanwhile, we do know that the mainline storyline here is based around Lilith, which has returned to the world and begun to cause complete havoc to those seeking sanctuary. How this will connect with the different acts or pathways the developers made note about in the video embedded above is still a mystery. But, at the very least we know that you can work on different sections of the overall storyline right after you progress through the opening chapter.
We’re still waiting for the actual release date to come out regarding Diablo IV. As mentioned, this game only has a 2023 launch window right now so we’re looking into some point in 2023 before we’re able to get our hands on the game. Fortunately, we do know that when Diablo IV does launch into the marketplace, we can expect it on the PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.
