Diablo 4's Unexpected Roguelite Origins

Diablo 4 was initially envisioned as a more dynamic action-adventure with permadeath, as revealed by Diablo 3 director Josh Mosqueira.

Diablo 3 Director Wanted Diablo 4 To Be Something Entirely DifferentRoguelike Action-Adventure Diablo 4 Didn't Work Out Because of Several Complications

According to Diablo 3 director Josh Mosqueira, Diablo 4 could have been a vastly different game. Instead of the Diablo series' core action-RPG gameplay, Diablo 4 was initially conceived as a Batman: Arkham-style action-adventure title incorporating roguelike elements.

This excerpt, from Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier’s book, Play Nice: The Rise and Fall of Blizzard Entertainment, appeared in a recent WIRED report. Key Diablo team members discussed events from Diablo 3's era leading to Diablo 4. Considering Diablo 3 a setback for Blizzard, Mosqueira aimed to create a novel Diablo experience.

The project, codenamed "Hades," involved a small group of artists and designers who, with Mosqueira, envisioned an early Diablo 4 iteration. This version would have employed a third-person camera perspective, unlike the isometric view. Furthermore, combat, akin to Batman: Arkham, would have been more dynamic and impactful. And notably, death would have resulted in permanent character loss.

Though Mosqueira had the Blizzard executives' confidence in experimenting with a radically different Diablo entry, "a host of factors" eventually emerged that prevented the Diablo team from realizing this roguelike Diablo 4. For one, Project Hades' ambitious, Arkham-style co-op multiplayer aspects proved challenging to manage, and designers questioned: "Was this Diablo anymore?" Designer Julian Love pondered, "The controls are different, the rewards are different, the monsters are different, the heroes are different. But it’s dark, so it’s the same." Additionally, Blizzard developers gradually concluded that the roguelike Diablo 4 would have essentially been a wholly new intellectual property distinct from Diablo.

Diablo 4 recently launched its first major expansion, Vessel of Hatred. Vessel of Hatred transports players to the ominous realm of Nahantu, set in the year 1336, exploring the malevolent designs of Mephisto, one of the Prime Evils, and his elaborate schemes for Sanctuary. You can check out our review of the Diablo 4 DLC in the article linked below!