Diablo IV has just received a gothic-horror themed live-action trailer ahead of its June 6 release. Directed by Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) and co-directed by Kiku Ohe, the latest ad campaign, titled “Saviors Wanted,” captures the fear and conflict that plagues the Land of Sanctuary. In this twisted place filled with monsters, the High Heavens and Burning Hells wage devastating battles, leaving the residents in turmoil. Diablo 4 was officially certified gold late last month, indicating it’s ready to ship; and recently, a Server Slam Open Beta event was held, where Legendary loot drops were adjusted to reflect the day one version.
Essentially a walking tour of the tragedy, the live-action trailer for Diablo IV begins with a wide shot of an old man mourning over a stretch of dead horses on Sanctuary’s frigid tundra. “Whatever you can do. We beg you,” he pleads, turning to the camera – essentially the players who would save their country from doom. Then it goes back and forth between cries for help from other poor, unfortunate souls and epic footage of our heroes fighting off hordes of demons. The heroes, of course, represent the five classes in Diablo IV – barbarian, wizard, druid, rogue, and the new necromancer, who can summon corpses and command them to do their bidding. The trailer concludes with a shot of Lilith, Queen of the Succubi, emerging from heaven – waging war against her bitter enemy, the angel Inarius, and reigning over Sanctuary in the process.
“By working with Blizzard, we have had the wonderful opportunity to bring the dark, exciting, and imaginative world of Diablo IV to life,” Zhao said in a prepared statement. “Diablo fans are very passionate and many have been involved with the game for over two decades. We want to please fans, honoring the game’s rich story and deep world construction, while evoking the strong emotions players feel as they immerse themselves in the game.” As mentioned, Zhao won the Oscar for the Directed 2020’s ‘Nomadland’, which also won Best Picture and Best Actress (Frances McDormand) awards that year. The filmmaker then branched out into blockbusters like Marvel’s Eternals and is now in charge of directing Marvel’s Eternals adaptation of Hamnetwhich imagines the story of Agnes, wife of William Shakespeare.
Last month, Blizzard Entertainment detailed Diablo 4’s endgame progression, noting that it will keep you hooked for hundreds of hours after completing the main story. It starts with a capstone dungeon where you can complete repeating runs – of increasing difficulty – allowing you to collect a whole bunch of loot and keep getting stronger. The Nightmare Dungeons are also making a return, allowing you to choose one of over 120 dungeons in the Sanctum and turn it into a grittier playing field. These can be activated by finding a Nightmare Sigil, which adds difficult targets, an increased number of enemies, and portals that emanate monsters from other realms. Unfortunately, you have no control over when the portals open. So be prepared.
Diablo IV is coming June 6th to PC (via Battle.net), PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X. Early access for pre-orders of the Deluxe and Ultimate editions begins June 2nd in India and June 1st in the US.
