What you need to know
- Blizzard Entertainment is sharing quarterly design updates for Diablo 4.
- The September quarterly update is focused on skill trees and enhancements.
- Diablo 4 is still early in development and does not have a release window.
Blizzard Entertainment is sharing quarterly updates on the development of Diablo 4, its upcoming hack-and-slash RPG. Previous updates have touched on the UI design and the storytelling of the game, while the Diablo 4 September quartely update is focused on skill trees. Lead Systems Designer David Kim shares more about where the team is at with skills right now.
Below, you can see an early, non-final version of the Sorceress skill tree. It's quite literally a skill tree.
According to Kim, the current plan is for players to have the upper Skills sections unlocked with Skill points, while lower Passive sections are unlocked with Passive points, so these are kept distinct. Players are also not intended to unlock every single skill but instead have around "30~40%" of the skills by the time the endgame is reached. The idea is here is for each player's progression to feel unique.
Additionally, the team is trying to introduce other class-specific mechanics, such as the Arsenal system for the Barbarian and the Enchantment system for the Sorceress. With the Enchantment system, players can place Sorceress Skills in an active skill slot or an enchantment slot but not both. If placed in an enchantment slot, you'll instead activate a skill's secondary bonus power, meaning you can mix and match abilities in different slots for wildly different combinations.
Hopefully this helps explain the new Skill system in Diablo 4 a little more. We do have the current Sorceress skill tree, Druid skill tree and Barbarian skill tree, though there are two other classes that have yet to be revealed.
Diablo 4 does not have a release date or release window. It's currently confirmed to be coming to Xbox One, PC and PS4. Next-generation enhancements for the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PS5 have not been confirmed. There's also still a lot we don't know about the lore and story in Diablo 4 so far.
Legacy of evil
From the franchise's simple beginnings to a glimpse of what is to come in Diablo 4, this book is perfect for any fans looking for the horrific inspirations and concept art that helped shape the games.
