Add for “The Art of Diablo” from Blizzard in german Gamestar magazine mentions art from Diablo 4! (This was posted on Reddit, click on the photo).
Anyone know how to read German?
November 3rd release date. The day after Blizzcon.
It says, in essence, that it has over 500 artworks by uber bosses from three games and they’re drawn so badly that’d you’d think a 5 year old had eaten his crayons before regurgitating them to do the drawings.
Disclaimer: my German is terrible.
Edit: the release date of November 3rd is very suspicious as it is my dog’s birthday.
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This is a direct translation by me of the text next to “The Art of Diablo”:
This book presents more than 500 remarkable artworks from Diablo, Diablo II, Diablo III and Diablo IV, which were created for the iconic aRPG series by Blizzard Entertainment that brought nightmares to many generations of fans.
The text on the book itself states that the foreword/introduction in the book is done by Chris Metzen.
This is 100% legit, you can do a Google search by yourself for:
isbn "978-3-8332-3835-2"
So, it turns out our three forum avatars actually depict Diablo 4 himself.
The last one is on the cover of “The Art of Diablo” book. So, if the 6 skulls signify the dead heroes from Diablo 3 (Necro can’t get more dead), would this mean we are getting new type of heroes or classless Diablo 4? Or they would be spirits in Heaven in D4?
EDIT: Here are some more screens from the book:
For more than twenty years, the artists behind Diablo have conjured new visions of the heavens and the hells, built nightmarish corridors filled with monsters and demons, and unleashed swarms of malevolent creatures upon tens of millions of players worldwide.
Featuring never before seen content, The Art of Diablo plunges into the concept, design, and environmental art that has defined the world of Sanctuary and the Eternal Conflict at the core of Blizzard Entertainment’s action-packed dungeon-crawling game.
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Pretty interesting and if you think too much on it, there could be a good connection on the skulls . How ever, there has been many “hints” and artwork through the history depicting “upcoming “ creations, there’s been reference to druids as well as the necro before the necromancer dlc came out.
The creators could have simply thought way back when “yeah I’m sure there will be an expansion that includes a Druid” so they put stuff in the game for added content. Those plans could have also went down the drain but too much hassle to take the stuff out already in the game.
I’m sure D4 is intended to be released, but I would place bets that it won’t be any time soon nor should it be unless it’s been in development secretly for years now. Specially after all their debacles, they need the D4 to go smoothly as possible once released.
D4 should be in closed Alpha atm, which means a few things:
- It has a playable engine
- It has some playable classes/heroes and skills
- There are some items already in the game
Based on the above, if we get a gameplay shown at Blizzcon (and I am sure we will) we can draw very good conclusion about the quality of the game atm.
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Maybe so, I just don’t hold my breath and get hyped about it. I also don’t see why some people get so childlike upset about people believing D4 is coming sooner.
Sitting at the restaurant table with someone…”hey, is our food coming out soon?” The waitress “yes, it will be out in a couple minutes “ other guy next to you “ NO IT WONT YOU IDIOT! GET A BRAIN YOU STUPID PEON!”
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Lol have another drink, Reverend… 
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I have no doubt that D4 is being worked on. But Blizzard works at a glacial pace compared to other developers. They QA stuff to death, hammering on it repeatedly. They won’t announce something, and release it within 12 months, like say, Bethesda. Look how long they took with the Necro, for example. That was one class. One!
If D4 is even in a playable, demoable state for Blizzcon (and we have no reason to think it will, other than hope), it will be years before it releases. I’d estimate 2021 at the earliest, assuming everything goes smoothly.
And on the topic of things going smoothly… are things smooth at Blizzard right now? No issues I take it? Everything cool at Blizz HQ? Everyone happy there, yes?
No?
Ah.
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But that waitress actually works for the restaurant. And she actually knows when the food is coming. So she is to be believed.
But if some random customer tried to tell me the food was coming, you would understand why I wouldn’t believe him. You understand the difference, right?
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Yes and no. Yes on the the waitress works there and the people “wanting “ diablo 4 to be out soon does not work for blizzard. No on the fact that blizzard employees did state something was coming out sometime.
I wasn’t using it as “blizzard said D4 was coming out and being announced this blizzcon “. Was simply trying to relate an example to at least get close to the ridiculous reactions some people have to it.
Point taken on my example, too early to think of a different one 
Just a month ago:
So D4 development started this month or you finally saw that the hype train is real?
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Sigh. I guess I’m the bar, huh. If I can be convinced, then its happening, right. Are you really gonna go through my past posts to try to ‘gotcha’ me?
D4 has probably been in the planning stages for YEARS. Ideas tossed around in a meeting room, artist mockups of characters, proof of concept gameplay videos shown off to Activision. I’m almost certain that was happening for a while.
What I can’t say for sure, is how seriously development has been progressing, or how successful it has been. Its. Not. Worth. Getting. Excited. Over. Something. We. Know. So. Little. About. ESPECIALLY given the history of this IP, AND the history of disappointment attached to it.
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there are more skulls falling from his hands
Nice catch! This is visible when you fully open/zoom the big cover picture - 3 more skulls are falling down - D1/D2 heroes joining the party?
I too want the fiasco last year to be avoided, but after the forges video “it looked clear”:
sorry to stop the hype train skelos is trying to start yet again, but just because the have some art doesnt mean much as actually happened. still saying 2021 at the earliest.
It’s for announcement at Blizzcon 2019. No one expects a release the day after Blizzcon.
im sure some will, because gotta obviously theres art so the game must be finished!
The only evidence you have of this is a game released in 2012, when it was a completely different team and company.
Believe it or not, companies evolve and change over the years to match the market demand. Combine this obvious change with the fact that they have had postings for Diablo Next for at least 2-3 years, it seems clear they are ready to announce something.
Quite frankly, they have no choice!
You want to go off the past, but then you go against yourself here. Blizzard has always followed a tradition that if they have a playable demo of something, it releases within 1 year.
And Chris Metzan did not work for Blizzard?
My personal overall view on this. Given the past events, and the failure of Blizzcon 2018, the company has no choice but to come out this year swinging. They have to announce at least TWO major titles, and then an additional 1-2 expansion, updates to their games.
Investors have all but confirmed that a new Diablo game and Overwatch game are releasing in 2020.
I am more keen to follow investors than I am the opinion of anyone on these forums to be honest (unless we got word straight from the source), because the investors have inside knowledge none of us have. It is their job to know these things, and advise their clients how to invest.
Blizzcon 2019 will feature the announcement of Diablo Next, Overwatch 2 (likely just a reboot of Overwatch similar to what we saw with Fortnite), the next WoW expansion, and then TWO mystery announcements. The mystery announcments could be: Starcraft related, D2HD, WC4, or something entirely different the company has yet to venture into, such as a Witcher or Dark Souls like game.
At this point the source doesn’t have a precise release window too. No one has since many unplanned things might show during development before Beta aka atm.
Remember when I said this, an hour ago?
Look how long they took with the Necro, for example. That was one class. One!
Was that 2012? Remind me