There’s probably a tough side to managing some of the biggest and most well-loved IPs in gaming, something Blizzard is learning as speculation grows rampant ahead of their annual Blizzcon. There’s a lot of speculation for what Blizzard might announce this year, especially rumors centering around the possibility of a Diablo IV, and Blizzard is eager to tamp down on those expectations.
In a blog post today, Blizzard danced around mentioning Diablo IV, but made certain that people expecting it to be announced at Blizzcon in early November should not be so certain of it.
“We know what many of you are hoping for and we can only say that ‘good things come to those who wait,’ but evil things often take longer,” the studio wrote on its website. “We appreciate your patience as our teams work tirelessly to create nightmarish experiences worthy of the Lord of Terror.”
Fan speculation has been swirling since Blizzard announced earlier this year that they were preparing for multiple projects in the future of the Diablo series, which at least in part seemed to be the Switch port of Diablo III also coming November 2, the first day of Blizzcon. Combined with Diablo-centered merchandise at the show and some odd scheduling of Diablo-relevant panels after the show keynote, some fans believed that Diablo IV was an inevitability at the show. Blizzard, realizing that, has come out to keep people’s expectations in check.
For now, your Diablo fix will have to be satiated by the two decade’s worth of games already out.
I actually really like that they got out ahead of it to say it won’t be there. A lot of companies would try to ride the hype without saying or doing anything and then fans would be disappointed. It might not be their fault, but it’s good of them to just say “Hey, this isn’t happening now, so let’s enjoy the show for what it is and we’ll get there eventually.”
