It seems that a new Diablo title has been inadvertently revealed via a job posting on Blizzard’s website. The post states that the company is working on “a new, unannounced Diablo project”.
While it was previously rumored back in March that Blizzard was bringing their frequently ported 2012 title to the booming Nintendo Switch, the listing seems to imply a completely new entry in the legendary dungeon crawling series. Here is the full blurb concerning the supposed new game:
The minions of Hell are growing stronger… We’re working on a new, unannounced Diablo project. Are you a skilled Dungeon Artist? Come work with us, and together we will build something exceptional.
While Diablo III is over 6 years old, there have been a number of stop-gaps since its release. The Reaper of Souls DLC added major story content, and the console releases of the game completely re-imagined how the classic loot-based RPG played with a controller. Additionally, its early months were a flurry of patches, with Blizzard addressing the numerous complaints of its rocky launch.
Initially they had to address their net code and server issues, issues that were exacerbated by the always-online nature of the game. Then the developer had to address the controversy surrounding the auction house, an in-game store that allowed players to buy and sell loot with other players. This was the basis for the always-online hooks and, while the company imagined it would create a thriving ecosystem, in reality it made many players feel cheated and self-conscious about their loot drops. Paired with the absolutely punishing New Game + modes, Blizzard eventually canned the auction house altogether and re-balanced the higher difficulty settings.
While the wait between Diablo II and Diablo III was a notoriously long one (around 12 years), these clues seem to indicate that this wait won’t be quite as agonising. It seems likely that Blizzard has learned from their mistakes, but we will have to wait and see how those lessons affect the likely Diablo IV.
Source: Forbes