Announced during the Game Awards 2023 today, Diablo IV will be available across all gaming platforms. To be clear, this includes Windows PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 (PS5), and the PlayStation 4 (PS4). For console players, couch co-op play will also be available at launch. In the latest trailer for Diablo IV, we see Inarius, Archangel of the High Heavens, somewhere in the depths of hell with his divine army, to confront a new yet familiar evil: Lilith, daughter of Mephisto and also the Queen Mother of Sanctuary. For the uninitiated and unfamiliar with Diablo lore, Inarius and Lilith were once lovers and are often regarded as the creators of the world of Sanctuary and the Nephalem, a race that came about when both beings mated for the first time. As previously reported, Diablo IV will allow players to return to the world of Sanctuary through one of five classes: the Druid, Barbarian, Rogues, Sorceresses, and Necromancers. Not only that, but the new Sanctuary and Hell are vast and open, with players able to visit places such as the snow-covered Fractured Peaks, the highlands of Scosglen, swamps of Hawezar, the barren wastelands of the Dry Steppes, deserts of Kehjistan, and the central city of Caldeum. Diablo IV will also introduce a new end-game system, where players can grow further in power after the main campaign is done. There’s the gruelling Helltide, a regularly occurring event that brings a surge in demonic activity to Sanctuary, new ferocious and particularly challenging Nightmare Dungeons, an updated Paragon Board system to continue customizing heroes to new heights of power, Whispers of the Dead which grant Legendary rewards for selected world bounties, and Fields of Hatred offer designated grounds for building PvP renown. Preorders for Diablo IV are already available and fans can choose from three digital editions: Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate. The Standard Edition retails for US$69.99 (~RM308), the Deluxe Edition for US$89.99 (~RM396), and the Ultimate Edition for US$99.99 (~RM440). All editions of Diablo IV will give players early access to the game’s Open Beta, but do note that the Deluxe Edition will provide earlier access to the beta by four days, while the Ultimate Edition one-ups that with an Accelerated Seasonal Battle Pass Unlock in-game. For the hardcore – or the “Devout” as Blizzard would call them – there’s also the Limited Edition Collector’s Box that retails for US$96.66 (~RM425). Inside is a double-sided electric Candle of Creation, a cloth map of Sanctuary, an Occult Mousepad, a pin of the Horadrim, two matted fine art prints, and a Diablo IV Collector’s Edition Art book. This set will be available for preorder starting 15 December. (Source: Blizzard via YouTube)
