Diablo IV – Gameplay Showcase and Necromancer Introduction

Thanks to this year’s Xbox Games Showcase Event, we now know that Diablo IV should be launching in 2023, featuring full cross-play for all supported platforms. We also got a chance to check out a cinematic trailer highlighting the game’s Necromancer class. Here it is:

Beyond that, we were treated to a gameplay overview that covered Diablo IV’s character customization, open-world systems, online features, and end-game progression. Have a look:

More on that:

INTRODUCING: THE NECROMANCER

As a Priest of Rathma, known by outsiders as a Necromancer—the word death evokes a sensation of power, potentially even excitement when it graces their ear. These legendary summoners bend blood, bone, and darkness to their will, and subjugate the ranks of the undead to carry out their bidding. Unknowing adversaries who pick a fight with this death-defying class will quickly learn they’ve made a grave mistake, for they are darkness in its wake.

We have a casket-full of news to share with you around how the Necromancer class will decimate and reanimate demons in Diablo IV. Take a gander at our June 2022 Diablo IV Quarterly Update blog coming out tomorrow at 10 a.m. PDT to learn more about the class’s new mechanics, such as the Book of the Dead, with Lead Class Designer, Adam Jackson.

YOU DECIDE

At the heart of Diablo IV is player choice. There is no one singular way to play the game; players will carve their own path forward, shaping their destiny in a nonlinear way of their choosing. This ethos extends to character customization, player skills, exploration of Diablo IV’s shared open world, its social systems, and of course—the end game. Let’s dive into these gameplay systems and some of the choices they provide.

CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION

The denizens of Sanctuary are a diverse people. We wanted this same diversity to be reflected in the hero YOU bring to life. And thus, whether you set off into Diablo IV as a Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, or Sorceress, you’ll be greeted by a fleshed-out character customizer offering a plethora of options. This level of player choice doesn’t just reside in aesthetics, it is also seen in the expansive Skill Trees for every class, each offering endless ways to rip through the Burning Hell’s forces with your hero.

EXPLORE YOUR WAY

As we said, there is no singular way to traverse Sanctuary in Diablo IV—we leave that up to your motivations. The world is vast in scale; home to frigid mountain ranges, sand-swept canyons, plague lands bubbling with pestilence, and many other biomes. All with no shortage of demonic dangers to encounter and secrets to uncover. You won’t simply traverse through an empty world in Diablo IV—every inch is built for combat.

As you navigate around, taking notice of the wounds Lilith’s return has inflicted upon the land, you’ll encounter a new type of evil: Strongholds. These are locations the Burning Hell’s minions have claimed for themselves, casting a shadow of darkness upon them for you to lift. Clearing out Strongholds will bring about permanent change to these locations, repopulating them with non-demonic life and rewarding you with loot. Clearing a Stronghold may also reveal new dungeons to delve into and other hidden experiences. Speaking of dungeons, Diablo IV contains almost 150 detailed dungeons—close-quarters experiences for you to root out evil throughout the main questline and beyond. Each time you step foot into a dungeon, its layout and distribution of adversaries will vary, keeping the challenge alive while still allowing you to strategize a way to overcome the dangers within.

Sanctuary is alive…with demons to dispose of! Aside from dangerous dungeons and heavily defended Strongholds, there are also local events to be completed solo or with a team in the name of glory and rewards. And for daring heroes craving an especially hardy challenge, towering world bosses roam the world with a desire to end those who oppose them. Band together with fellow defenders of Sanctuary to topple these nightmarish titans.

SOCIAL SYSTEMS

Teaming up with other heroes to rid Sanctuary of bloodthirsty demons or going head-to-head against them in combat has long been a staple of the Diablo experience. Diablo IV will continue this tradition by offering both fulfilling PvE and PvP experiences. Providing players with the option to pursue Lilith on their own or with the aid of others is just another way players have additional agency when playing Diablo IV.

To make demon slaying with friends a breeze, we have rebuilt the party-forming experience so that regardless of character levels or where you may be within a particular questline, you can still band together. This is also our intended experience for players on different platforms looking to cleanse Sanctuary of evil together.

But if vanquishing hordes of demons with other players is not your preference, you may prefer a more mortal opponent. Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, forever looking to instigate a skirmish, has cursed specific areas of Sanctuary, transforming them into Fields of Hatred. Here, his influence pits mortal versus mortal in designated PvP Zones. If you give into Mephisto’s temptation by marking yourself hostile, you open yourself up to facing the full fury of others who are marked hostile, but should you be successful in striking down your opponent, their spoils shall be yours to claim. These zones are not for the faint of heart, rather for heroes looking to bring renown to their name through blood and zeal!

END GAME OFFERINGS

Closing the final chapter of Diablo IV’s main story will be a monumental moment, but it will certainly not signify the end of your hero’s journey. We want players to see the end game of Diablo IV as a new beginning filled with quite a few decisions ahead on what to experience next. First, you might try to take on Nightmare Dungeons: transformed and teeming with enhanced demonic dangers and added difficulty in the form of new objectives and added afflictions to the dungeon. Perhaps you want to branch off into another direction, say, place down roots for your future. Look no further than the Tree of Whispers, an end-game system that will provide you with frequently cycling world objectives and bounties that reward you with Legendary gear, experience, crafting materials, and more!

In Sanctuary, there is unrelenting ever-present danger waiting for you at every turn. To best whatever the Burning Hells may throw your way, you must grow stronger. Once you reach max level, the Paragon Board will unlock, and with it, hundreds of optional paths to further customize your hero’s build.

We thank you for joining us around the campfire to learn more about what is coming in Diablo IV! As we march forward to our 2023 launch, additional parcels of information will manifest from the darkness. Keep an eye out for future Quarterly Update blogs and more.

We bid thee farewell. . . for now,
-The Diablo IV Team