Blizzard Explains the Absence of Diablo in Diablo 4
Developers chose not to tie the Lord of Terror into the expansion.
Despite the game's title, Diablo 4 features almost no Diablo: the Lord of Terror is only mentioned in the game. At the BlizzCon festival, developers explained why they decided not to include Diablo in the existing game as an expansion and to save him for Diablo 5.
According to senior art director John Mueller, the issue lies in the scale of Diablo as a character. Introducing the Lord of Terror into the storyline requires a narrative of appropriate magnitude; he cannot be made a secondary villain.
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The plot of Diablo 4 revolves around Lilith, and developers decided early on not to add Diablo to the additional content. However, no one pressured the developers to rush into creating a new Diablo game.
According to Mueller, characters in Diablo 5 and the events surrounding them should be perceived by players similarly to events in their favorite series. To achieve this, Blizzard decided to change the very structure of the game.
In Diablo 5, players will explore a world where Diablo has taken over Sanctuary, and most of its inhabitants are either dead or have turned to evil. The few survivors wander with the player's caravan through a demon-enslaved world.
The release of Diablo 5 is scheduled for spring 2029.
