Blizzard Shares Bad News About Diablo 4's Release Date

Blizzard has shared some bad news about Diablo 4's release date. When Blizzard announced the game last year, many assumed it meant the game's release wasn't very far away. However, at the time, Blizzard did note it wasn't talking about the game's release given that it was still a way off. And it looks like that hasn't changed. In a new update, Blizzard confirmed the game is still not in just the "early" stages of development, but the "very early" stages. In fact, it's not even in an Alpha state yet.

Unfortunately, this is where the details about the game's release end. That said, not only is it a safe bet to say the game isn't releasing in 2020, but it doesn't even look like 2021 is on the table. Will we see the game in 2022? Probably, but this also depends on how ambitious the title is and how much time Blizzard is going to spend in QA and polish. It also has quite a few platforms to bring the game to when you factor in PS5 and Xbox Series X.

It's easy to imagine the game slipping beyond 2022, but it probably won't given the fact that the game was announced and in development for PS4 and Xbox One. Unless these versions are scrapped, it's hard to imagine Blizzard releasing a PS4 and Xbox One game in 2023. By 2023, the next-gen release schedule should be in its stride, and you'd be crazy to ship a big-budget last-gen or even cross-gen game in the middle of it.

Diablo 4 is in development for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. At the moment of publishing, there's been no word of a Nintendo Switch port or next-gen ports. However, given that it sounds like the game isn't releasing anytime soon, it's safe to assume PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are in the pipeline.

"In Diablo IV, players will attempt to bring hope back to the world by vanquishing evil in all its vile incarnations—from cannibalistic demon-worshipping cultists to the all-new drowned undead that emerge from the coastlines to drag their victims to a watery grave," reads an official pitch of the game. "For the first time in the series, Sanctuary will be a contiguous, seamless landmass comprising diverse regions ranging from the burning desert of Kejhistan, to the verdant werewolf-infested forests of Scosglen, to the harsh and rugged wilderness of the Dry Steppes."