Blizzard Announces Diablo 5 with Demon Hunter, Monk, and New Plague Knight Classes

Blizzard has officially unveiled Diablo 5 during a surprise announcement at BlizzCon 2026. Developers outlined a wide range of changes for the upcoming action role-playing game, pointing toward a spring 2029 release window while noting that all current gameplay features remain a work-in-progress.

The sequel is set one hundred years after Diablo 4 following the apocalyptic destruction of Sanctuary by the demon Diablo. Game Director Joe Shely and other developers shared details during a follow-up panel, confirming that the title will launch with more classes than any previous entry in the franchise. The first confirmed playable characters include the returning demon hunter and monk, alongside a brand-new addition called the plague knight. Game Director Joe Shely described the plague knight as a heavily armored class that spreads disease across the battlefield and consumes death energy for power.

Diablo 5 will feature procedural generation for its dungeons and open-world regions, ensuring they change every time players return. Traditional safe towns will be replaced by a mobile caravan of non-player characters, including a treasure goblin companion, where sidequests will originate. Itemization is also returning to a style reminiscent of Diablo 2, complete with multi-slot items, belts, set items, and stat threshold requirements. Blizzard stated that regular development updates will begin next year.