We've known for some time that Blizzard is planning to launch Diablo IV in 2023, but exactly when is still a mystery. According to a new leak over the weekend, it'll be much earlier in the year than anticipated.
According to sources speaking with Windows Central, Blizzard is planning to announce the release date for Diablo IV at The Game Awards in December. Currently, the team is said to be gearing up for an April 2023 release date, which would make sense given all the gameplay tests and leaks we've seen in the second half of this year.
In recent months, Blizzard has been running extensive private beta tests for Diablo IV, leading to a ton of gameplay leaks showcasing the game in action. From what we've seen so far, the game is close to being finished, so these remaining months of development are likely going to be spent on bug fixing, polishing and ensuring all the multiplayer features are working correctly.
Diablo 3 had a very rocky launch, in part due to its always-online requirement, which hindered players from progressing in the single-player campaign while servers were down. Diablo IV is going to have more multiplayer features and a social hub for players to gather. With that in mind, potential network issues should be at the forefront of Blizzard's priorities for this launch.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: Despite recent controversies with Blizzard, and the disappointing monetisation of Diablo Immortal, I am still looking forward to diving into Diablo IV next year. Hopefully that April 2023 launch date sticks.