Diablo 5, slated for a 2029 release, is being designed with a renewed focus on the player's power fantasy, according to Blizzard. Game director Joe Shely detailed the developer's intentions to ensure players viscerally feel their character's growing might, addressing criticisms leveled at Diablo 4's combat scaling.
Speaking with PC Gamer, Shely explained the core design philosophy for Diablo 5. "Diablo is a game that, in many ways, is about your character getting stronger and when the monsters get stronger at the same time, especially outside of your control," he stated. The goal is to create moments where leveling up or acquiring new power feels significant and impactful. "You've filled the experience bar, you get stronger, you should feel awesome now, a wave of light pulses out from you, a bunch of monsters die." Shely noted that automatic enemy scaling systems can sometimes detract from this core feeling, and that Blizzard is taking a "somewhat different approach" in Diablo 5 to address this.
This contrasts with Diablo 4, which faced player feedback regarding its aggressive level-scaling. Players reported friction between their optimized character builds and the game world, finding bottlenecks in the form of diminishing returns on Paragon points and scarce gear upgrades. The open-world scaling at launch meant there was no safe zone for players to farm for better equipment to tackle more difficult areas. While Blizzard later made adjustments to Diablo 4 to alleviate these issues, the experience left a mark on the series' progression mechanics.
How these new scaling systems will be implemented in Diablo 5 remains to be seen. Blizzard plans to share further updates on the game throughout the coming year. In addition to overhauling combat feel, the return of set items is also intended to contribute to the game's power fantasy, providing players with more distinct and rewarding build opportunities.