Blizzard is incorporating design experience from Diablo 2: Resurrected, a remastered title released in 2021, into the Diablo 5 it is developing. Its strategy is to apply elements that have been revalidated in the modern player environment, rather than simply reviving strengths from the original title released more than 20 years ago.

TechRadar reported on Sept. 15 that Diablo 5 lead game director Joe Shely (조 셸리) said in a BlizzCon 2026 interview, "We are very happy with the response to Diablo 2: Resurrected," adding, "We are using this game as a modern reference for Diablo 5."

Shely said players' sustained enthusiasm for Diablo 2 drove the production of Resurrected. He said the experience accumulated by adding new content afterward is also influencing development of the next title. Rather than looking only at the original released in 2000, he said Resurrected, which is still being serviced alongside Diablo 4, allows the series to reassess past strengths by today's standards.

Blizzard is paying particular attention to the item system. Item design in Diablo 2: Resurrected, including weapons and armor, loot acquisition and progression structure, was cited as one of the key elements that inspired Diablo 5. Shely stressed, "We can take not only lessons from 20 years ago, but lessons from today as well."

Diablo 5 was officially announced at BlizzCon 2026. The game is set in a world where demonic forces have prevailed and Sanctuary has fallen, and it presents an even darker atmosphere than the previous title. Blizzard is currently developing the game and plans to release it in the spring of 2029.

Diablo 5 is expected to be both a sequel to Diablo 4 and a work that modernly reinterprets the item design of Diablo 2, which is regarded as the most influential title in the series.