Diablo 5 senior game director says the game will tell 'three stories,' including the past, the present desolation of Diablo's takeover, and the future 'terror forming' of the Sanctuary

Narrative Overview

Blizzard has confirmed that Diablo 5 will tell stories involving the past, present, and future of Diablo’s takeover of Sanctuary. Senior game director Joe Shely says the game will tell “three stories,” including the past, the present desolation of Diablo’s takeover, and the future “terror forming” of the Sanctuary. The three narrative threads are:

• Past - the time when Diablo took over and his Dread Commanders emerged into Sanctuary.
• Present - the desolation of the current world, where “there are no people around” and “very few survivors.” Occasionally, a human can be added to your caravan to provide support.
• Future - an outpost of hell being actively built by Dread Commanders, a process the team calls “terror forming.” Shely explains: “We call it terror forming because these Dread Commanders will actually transform the environment, transform the biome into a version of hell that relates to personal powers and powers at station.”

World Design and Biome Dynamics

Biomes will look different depending on which Dread Commander is in charge. Players can visit biomes that are taken over by Diablo’s Dread Commanders, and the environment will shift accordingly. Narrative director Jennifer Hepler describes this as “a whole new experience” each time you revisit an area:

• A location may be under the control of the Dread Commander of Undeath, resulting in zombies and similar hazards.
• Later in the game, the same area could be reclaimed by humanity or overrun by a different Dread Commander, making the environment “totally different as a result of that.”
• “So each time you go somewhere, it’s a whole new experience and just constant new discoveries,” Hepler adds.

The procedural world gives the team “a lot of levers to pull for that,” allowing dynamic transformation of the landscape.

Visual Impact and Exploration

The takeover of Sanctuary visually affects explorable biomes. Players will travel across the Western continent, seeing all different biomes that have been overrun. The environment transforms into hell‑like versions that reflect each Dread Commander’s powers, creating a constantly evolving world.

Development Timeline

Diablo 5 is in development and is slated to launch in Spring 2029.

Gaming Console Recommendations

1. Best overall: PlayStation 5 Slim
2. Best budget: Xbox Series S
3. Best handheld: Nintendo Switch 2
4. Most powerful: PlayStation 5 Pro

Byline and Credits

Demi is a freelance games journalist who helps cover gaming news at TechRadar. She’s been a games writer for five years and has written for outlets such as GameSpot, NME, and GamesRadar, covering news, features, and reviews. Outside of writing, she plays a lot of RPGs and talks far too much about Star Wars on X.

• Rob Dwiar, Managing Editor, TechRadar Gaming and Streaming

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