Former Diablo and Diablo II developers are creating a new low-budget action RPG with the potential to redefine the genre. Given the success of the original Diablo games, this new ARPG from veterans of both titles has high expectations.
Moon Beast Productions, an independent studio founded by Phil Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer, secured $4.5 million in funding to develop an ARPG that aims to "transcend established genre conventions." The team, comprised of Diablo I and II alumni, plans a radical overhaul of the hack-and-slash formula. Their vision is a more open and dynamic ARPG experience, a departure from the norm that aims to recapture the essence of the early Diablo games.
Details about the game remain scarce, but the pedigree of the development team suggests a strong possibility of creating a top-tier action RPG. However, breaking into a crowded market dominated by high-quality ARPGs will be a significant challenge. The recent success of Diablo IV's "Vessel of Hatred" expansion, along with the game's substantial player base, presents considerable competition.
The challenge is further amplified by other prominent ARPGs like Path of Exile 2, which recently achieved remarkable success on Steam, boasting a peak player count exceeding 538,000—ranking it among the platform's top 15 highest peak player counts. This highlights the intense competition within the genre.
