Diablo 4 has been a long time coming. While Blizzard announced the project in 2019, much remains under wraps about the upcoming sequel to the beloved top-down action RPG franchise. As time inches closer to the game's 2023 release window, Diablo 4 developer Blizzard has been sharing additional tidbits to help build the hype. Details such as the game's open world design and return of the necromancer class have been received favorably. Unfortunately, having approximately 45 minutes of gameplay footage leaked over the weekend was not a part of Blizzard's plan.

While the leaked Diablo 4 footage does not come from a final build, it does show a high degree of polish. The user interface looks solid, the combat seems visceral, and Blizzard has introduced new ways to explore the world through climbing, while the top-down camera perspective remains in place. The verticality of the design and vastness of the world make a potent combination that has players even more excited than before. While the footage is heavily watermarked and not the highest quality, those aren't issues inherent to the game itself and should not be considered a red flag. Extensive testing is a normal part of development, and this footage was not meant for the public eye. The source of the footage has not been confirmed, but it was likely related to the August "Friends and Family" testing that Blizzard held for the game.

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How Will Diablo 4 Move Forward After the Leak?

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Following the unplanned leak, Blizzard revealed that open and closed betas for Diablo 4 will be arriving soon. While it would be easy to write this off as damage control, there's more to the plan than just that. Using the ambiguity of the release window to their advantage, Blizzard can more effectively steer the ship in their favor. The closed beta will focus primarily on endgame content and will be made available to select players in November 2022, and the open beta will follow at some point in 2023. Blizzard is effectively seizing the public interest in the game and confidently putting it forward on their terms, showing that the studio is undaunted by the leaks and eager to get the game out there when it is ready.

This isn't the first Diablo 4 leak, either. Back in August, footage from a closed "Friends and Family" test event for Blizzard employees also made its way online. The general reception among testers has been described as "mostly positive" as well. In the grand scheme of things, this shows that the game is undergoing a healthy development cycle. Closed betas are the first step toward open betas, and open betas are the first step toward getting the game released to the public. Given the expansive nature of Diablo 4 and the live-service components being added to its formula, a game of this nature would need to undergo rigorous testing before release day.

It's easy to feel pessimistic about Diablo 4, especially given the negative reception of the more recently released Diablo Immortal and its microtransactions. Leaks and all, Blizzard is using Diablo 4's development to regain the narrative and purposely show gameplay first. This subtle shift should be taken as a positive sign. It was easy to feel that Diablo Immortal was a cash grab and a symbol of the times as more and more games and franchises move into the live-service format. With Diablo 4​​​​​, Blizzard wants the game to convey a sense of the return of the blockbuster AAA game.

Through focusing on the selective sharing of information relating to Diablo 4's post-launch and endgame content, and the steady details of gameplay dynamics such as player vs player combat, couch co-op, and class gameplay, the narrative is shifted in the gamer's favor. Blizzard is intentionally using the leaks to showcase a confident return to form for the developer.

Diablo 4 will launch in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

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