Diablo 4 Devs Lift the Lid on the Games Lore and Story

The Diablo Series has a rich setting and lore that adds so much to the games and makes its world interesting. Tons of backstories, characters, and events make up the world of Sanctuary, and Diablo IV looks to be the biggest and most extensive addition to the game’s story we’ve seen.

Today, Blizzard has released their final developer video on Diablo IV, detailing the game’s characters, story, lore, and what players can look forward to in this darker story that expands the mythos and lore like never before.

Related: Diablo IV Release Date, Preorders & Trailers

The Story of Diablo IV will Appeal to Fans Old and New

In a new video released today, players are given a more in-depth look at what to expect from the story of Diablo IV and how it will expand the world’s lore.

This time around, the developers want to go back to the darker roots of the series and have gone to great lengths to achieve that goal, starting with expanding on the lore of Sanctuary, the game’s setting, which came into existence thanks to the efforts of Lilith, the game’s antagonist, and the angel Inarius. On top of that, players can expect to meet new and some returning characters who will play a big part in the story, all of which have been created to be grounded and relatable in the context of the world of Diablo.

The world of Diablo IV also reflects this darker tone, taking place 50 years after the events of Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls, where Malthael, the Angel of Death, wiped out half of humanity.

Since then, it’s been a constant struggle for the people of Sanctuary. The world has become more deadly thanks to factions that have risen to power across Sanctuary, which players will interact with as they experience the story. Heroes of past games have faded into memory, and the Horadrim, a secret organization tasked with protecting the world from supernatural forces, has all but disappeared and been forgotten. It’s bleak and gritty, just as you’d expect from Diablo.

So what does this mean for players? Well, much like everything else in the game, it’s being built to be as player centric as possible, and the team has a few ways they hope to achieve this. For starters, characters have been designed to be blank slates for the player, allowing them to project and create their own ideas about their place in the world. Associate writer Eden Trujillo says it best in the trailer; “the player character in Diablo IV is whoever the player wants them to be.” They want it to be your choice, like everything else. In that same vein, players are encouraged to decide how they feel about characters as they learn about them through the story.

Related: What We Learned About Diablo IV’s Customization – Interview

On top of all that, it’s very clear from the video that Diablo IV is putting a more significant focus on its story this time around. Rather than a story being told to you, they want your character to be more involved, and from what we’ve seen, all their decisions and characters are being made to do just that. Of course, for some Diablo has never been about the story, but the fact that the developers are putting as much effort into making it engaging and centered on the player is another tick from us. Now we need to wait for the game to release on June 6, or June 2 if you have early access, and see it unfold ourselves.