Blizzard has had a rollercoaster run ever since it started operations decades ago. It went from a smaller company to a massive industry staple in record time, and now it’s a monolith under Microsoft and Xbox. Diablo is a huge reason for its success, dating back to the original game, which took the dungeon-crawling genre by storm.
Now, Diablo is back in a big way, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Between Diablo 2: Resurrected, Diablo Immortal, and Diablo 4 (as well as legacy games that are still operational), the community has been eating well for a while now.
Thanks to a new report from Windows Central, we have an idea of how Blizzard operates internally and just how big Diablo 4 really is.
Diablo 4 Has Been An Absolute Smash Hit For Microsoft
Based on emails obtained by Windows Central, Blizzard is allegedly known internally as Microsoft’s “top-performing studio.” But it isn’t just World of Warcraft that’s taking the credit this time, as the report contends that Overwatch (which just dropped the “2” from its name this year), as well as Diablo 4, are responsible for the change in fortune.
Here’s the full statement from Blizzard President Johanna Faries, in an email apparently sent to staff ahead of BlizzCon 2026, set to take place September 12-13 in Anaheim, California: “In [Fiscal Year ’26] Blizzard ended the year as the top-performing studio in Xbox’s studios division, and this past year has marked our third highest fiscal for top-line revenue in Blizzard’s history…FY25 and FY26 were our first back-to-back years of growth since FY17…Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred and Overwatch drove exceptional performance in particular, with Overwatch delivering its strongest quarter since 2022.”
As a result of the news, Faries is hoping the good times will keep rolling through BlizzCon: “It’s my hope that the event can shine a light on the work underway at Blizzard, and that it can serve as a powerful springboard into a new era of momentum and excitement behind our mission to bring joy and belonging for communities worldwide.”
Diablo 5 Is Pretty Much A Guarantee At This Point
Given the rip-roaring success, it seems like Blizzard is set up for the future with Diablo 4. Given that Diablo 3 only had one major expansion in the form of Reaper of Souls (as well as the smaller Necromancer pack), Diablo 4 has been overtaking that run as it has two major expansions under its belt already. That’s more than Diablo 1 (which had Hellfire), and Diablo 2 (Lord of Destruction) as well.
Diablo 4 has improved a lot since its initial launch, to the point where it couldn’t really be considered the same game. Diablo 2 and 3 also had myriad quality-of-life features and updates over the years (the former even got a full remake, as well as tons of mods and patches during its run), so the Diablo teams in general are no stranger to constant updates and sprucing up their foundations. Aside from the initial launch of Diablo 3 (which was plagued by connection stability issuesand the real-money auction house controversy), the series has a sterling reputation.
Given this monstrous run and the clarion call from Microsoft and Blizzard leadership, Diablo 5 seems highly likely. The current run needs to end first, so don’t expect an announcement for a number of years, but once there’s at least one other expansion in the running for Diablo 4, it could be time to start talking about the sequel.
- Released
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June 5, 2023
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Engine
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Proprietary Engine